We reviewed data on hospital care of HIV/AIDS patients at Lazzaro Spallazani Institute between 1991 and 1999. The number of newly diagnosed AIDS cases increased until 1995 and decreased constantly thereafter. The proportion of AIDS cases diagnosed at our institution over the total number of cases reported in our region and in our country increased from 31.2 to 59.8% and from 3.9 to 8.7% respectively (p<0.001). In the entire study period, 10044 out of 18,434 (54.5%) of patients admitted to acute care wards were diagnosed with HIV related pathologies. The number of admission of HIV/AIDS patients to acute-care wards increased until 1995 and remained constant thereafter. Our data suggest that a consistent need for inpatient hospital care remains even in the era of HAART.