Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may cause progressive dysfunction of multiple organ systems including cardiac abnormalities some of which may be subclinical in nature. This study evaluated the echocardiographic patterns in patients with HIV infection.
Methods: A prospective case-control study involving one hundred HIV- seropositive adult patients of age range 18 – 60 years (mean: 44.9 + 10.09 years) comprising 79 females and 21 males. Echocardiography was performed to assess the interventricular septal wall, left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular ejection fraction and diastolic function abnormalities. SPSS was used for univariate, bivariate and multivariate data analysis with statistical significance set at p-values of <0.05.
Results: The interventricular septum and left ventricular posterior wall thicknesses were increased, whilst the ejection fraction values were reduced with diastolic function abnormalities. Additional cardiac abnormalities detected included dilated cardiomyopathy and a calcified tricuspid valve.
Conclusion: Echocardiographic imaging of persons with HIV infection showed an increase in the interventricular septal thickness, left ventricular posterior myocardial wall thickness with reduced ejection fraction and presence of diastolic function abnormalities.
