This study was done in patients with HIV infection and upper digestive symptoms as odinophagia, dysphagia and/or retrosternal pain who attended the Cayetano Heredia National Hospital in Lima, Perú. Those included in the study had an upper endoscopy and a CD4 count. Also previous opportunistic infections were determined. Samples were taken from the oropharyngeal cavity and sent for direct exam and culture. During endoscopy, photos were taken from the upper, middle, and lower third of the esophagus and the esophageal compromise was classified. Biopsies and brushings samples were obtained and sent for direct exam, histopathology and culture. RESULTS: 751 patients with HIV infection attended the Cayetano Heredia National Hospital between May 1996 and June 1999, 83 were included due to esophageal symptoms. Male / Female ratio : 4/1, mean age : 30.95 +/- 9.87. Cultures positive for Candida: 84.30% of esophageal biopsies samples, 88% of esophageal brushings and 60.2% of oropharyngeal cavity. The C. albicans species was isolated in 95.7% of biopsies, 93% of brushings and 96% of oropharyngeal cavity. The most common endoscopic finding was white plaques (71%), endoscopic grade 3 (36.1%). The most frequent previous opportunistic infection was PCP pneumonia followed by TBC. The positive predictive value for white plaques in patients with dysphagia and odynophagia was 89.8%. CD4 count between 0 and 50 lymphocytes per mm(3) was seen in 70% of the cases. The mean of CD4 lymphocytes of these patients was lower (p< 0.01) when compared to the mean of patients in the control group with no symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Candida albicans was the most common isolated pathogen in the esophagus in patients with HIV infection and with esophageal symptoms, a significant difference in CD4 count between these patients and the control group was determined.The positive predictive value for finding esophageal white plaques in patients dysphagia and odinophagia was high, and there was no difference between the average of CD4 count and the endoscopic grade of esophageal involvement.