Pathology of the Myocardium

The prevalence of myocardial abnormalities in HIV-infected patients ranges from 25 to 75% [1]. This wide range probably reflects differences in methodology, patients’ risk factors, disease stage, and environmental factors such as drug addiction or therapeu­tic agents. Myocardial involvement in HIV- infected patients includes dilated cardiomy­opathy, myocarditis, ischemic heart disease, and neoplastic invasion from HIV-associat­ed malignancies (e.g., non-Hodgkin’s lym­phoma or Kaposi’s sarcoma). In addition, the right ventricle can be involved as a con­sequence of AIDS-related pulmonary dis­ease.