In the early stages of HIV infection, patients with AIDS develop a condition similar to an upper respiratory tract infection because of the massive replication of the HIV virus and a dramatic decline in lymphocytes. At this time, many patients will have swollen lymph nodes in the neck, and not only swollen lymph nodes in the neck, but also swollen lymph nodes in the armpits, back of the occipital area, groin, and liver and spleen. Once a patient enters the asymptomatic stage of HIV infection, the vast majority of patients have no clinical manifestations, while some patients have persistent lymph node enlargement, either in the neck or in the axillae and groin. However, because the swollen lymph nodes do not show any pain, many people do not detect them on their own.