Gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to gastrointestinal Mycobacterium avium intracellulare or esophageal candidiasis in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Abstract

A 33-yr-old black intravenous drug abuser with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) had a massive fatal upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage due to profound and diffuse esophageal ulceration from Candida, as demonstrated by postmortem examination. A 2-yr-old white male with congenitally acquired AIDS had a massive fatal esophageal bleed as a result of esophagitis from Candida albicans, as proven by pathologic examination and culture of endoscopic biopsies. A 27-yr-old black human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive female died from massive lower gastrointestinal bleeding due to extensive small and large intestinal ulceration caused by Mycobacterium avium intracellulare, as proven by microscopic examination and mycobacterial culture of intestinal tissue. These reports extend the clinical spectrum of these infections in AIDS patients by demonstrating that these infections can produce gastrointestinal bleeding.