The GI symptoms of AIDS were originally attributed to opportunistic enteric pathogens or to malignancy. Smith et al. report that specific pathogens can be isolated in the majority of patients. Grohmann et al. Patients with diarrhea were more likely to have astrovirus, picobirnavirus, caliciviruses and adenoviruses. However, Ullrich et al. suggest that abnormalities of the intestinal lining can also result from HIV infection itself.
Standard treatments are effective.
No side effects were reported. No significant differences between the treatment group and control group were reported. Cello et al. Cello et al. Effect of octreotide on refractory AIDS-associated diarrhea.