Biliary dilatation in asymptomatic AIDS patients.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a recognized cause of biliary abnormalities in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients. In a prospective trial, two of 25 (8%) of AIDS patients on treatment for CMV related infections without biliary symptoms were found to have biliary dilatation on ultrasound. The study confirms previous findings of the poor correlation of sonographic findings with clinical status and biochemical profiles, and demonstrates that biliary tree dilatation in this group of patients may not per se warrant further invasive investigation.