AIDS patients presenting with fever of unknown origin and night sweats are commonly diagnosed with what condition?

Prepare for USMLE Step 1 Pathology Exam with comprehensive quizzes, flashcards, and detailed explanations. Enhance your understanding and be exam-ready!

In patients with AIDS, the presentation of fever of unknown origin (FUO) and night sweats is highly suggestive of opportunistic infections or malignancies associated with immunocompromised states. Tuberculosis (TB) is a critical consideration in this context because HIV-positive individuals are at a significantly higher risk for developing active TB due to their compromised immune system.

Tuberculosis can manifest with systemic symptoms such as fever, night sweats, weight loss, and malaise, alongside respiratory symptoms, particularly in a population with high rates of TB infection. The fever is often intermittent and the night sweats, a classic feature of TB, are due to the body's interaction with the infectious agent as it attempts to mount an immune response.

While pneumonia and lymphoma can also occur in AIDS patients, the combination of fever, night sweats, and the context of an immunocompromised state makes tuberculosis a more likely diagnosis, particularly in regions where TB is prevalent. Goodpasture's Syndrome, being an autoimmune condition characterized by glomerulonephritis and pulmonary hemorrhage, does not typically present with these systemic symptoms in the same way.

In summary, the prevalent risk factors and symptomatology in AIDS patients lead to tuberculosis being a primary diagnosis in the setting

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