Patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) frequently suffer and die from multiple localised and/or systemic opportunistic infections (caused by bacteria, viruses, mycoses, parasites), some malignomas (usually extranodal lymphomas and Kaposi sarcoma), and more or less characteristic pathologic changes in central nervous system, and in some other organs.
Bolniki z aidsom pogosto zbolevajo in umirajo zaradi večinoma multiplih lokaliziranih in/ali sistemskih oportunističnih okužb (ki jih povzročajo bakterije, virusi, glive, zajedalci), nekaterih malignih novotvorb (običajno ekstranodalnih limfomov in Kaposijevega sarkoma) in nekaterih bolj ali manj značilnih patoloških sprememb v osrednjem živčevju in drugih organih.