British HIV Association guidelines on the management of opportunistic infection in people living with HIV: The clinical investigation and management of pyrexia of unknown origin 2023
Publication year: 2023
Now that the majority of people living with HIV take combination antiretroviral therapy (ART), the
spectrum of causes of pyrexia of unknown origin (PUO) has changed compared with the pre-ART era.
In these guidelines, we focus on causes and evaluation of PUO among people living with HIV with
CD4 counts <350 cells/mm3
. Causes of PUO in people living with HIV with higher CD4 counts are
likely to be similar to those in HIV-negative individuals. Therefore, for those with higher CD4 counts
we recommend following guidance for management of PUO in the general population [1-3], with the
caveat that some infections, for example invasive pneumococcal disease [4] and tuberculosis (TB)
[5], are more common among people living with HIV than those without HIV even on ART and with
higher CD4 counts.
Infective, inflammatory, neoplastic and miscellaneous causes need to be considered in all cases. HIV
alone is rarely a cause of PUO, and other possible causes should always be investigated.