Abstract: Objective To investigate the clinical features and laboratory findings of Penicilliosis marneffei in 11 cases of AIDS.Methods Clinical data of 11 patients with AIDS who were evaluated in our hospital between 2002 and 2004 were analyzed.Laboratory findings for Penicillium marneffei infection were also assessed.Results Of the 11 patients,9 were male and 2 were female.In addition to nonspecific manifestations such as high fever,weight loss,anemia,hepatosplenomegaly,generalized lymphadenopathy,8 patients had skin lesions,3 had gastrointestinal symptoms (2 had abdominal pain,1 had diarrhea with red and mushy stool),1 had difficulty in swallowing and obstructive feeling in taking food,5 had respiratory symptoms,such as cough and chest pain,I had arthralgia,2 had oral candidal infection.PAS staining-posi tive yeast-or sausage-like clumped septate spores were found in direct smear of 4 bone marrow specimens,1 sputum specimen and 1 peripheral blood specimen,in 8 scrapings from skin lesions or smears from discharges from the skin,and in 2 cases of lymph node and skin biopsy specimens.The 11 isolates from different patients were all identified to be Penicillium marneffei by microscopic examination and fungal culture,and 4 of them were also confirmed by DNA sequence analysis.Conclusion The clinical manifestation of Penicilliosis mameffei,an opportunistic infection in AIDS,is heterogenous,and often includes skin lesions.

Key words: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Penicilliosis marneffei