Listeria monocytogenes sepsis and small cell carcinoma of the rectum: an unusual presentation of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A 26-year-old male homosexual initially presented with Listeria monocytogenes sepsis and a small cell carcinoma of the rectum. His subsequent course included esophageal candidiasis, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia, and severe T-lymphocyte abnormalities on immunologic testing, consistent with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). This represents the first case of AIDS associated with this unusual tumor and Listeria infection.