The syndrome label that is applied to the later stages of HIV infection came about in the early years of the HIV epidemic when scientists were still trying to identify the cause. The name has persisted, despite the fact that we now know the cause of AIDS.The word syndrome is used when there is a group of symptoms that occur together but there is no established cause. In the case of HIV, we know the cause.Additionally, the syndrome label applies when symptoms do not produce changes in anatomy and treatment involves only dealing with symptoms, rather than the underlying cause. With HIV, this is still true. We deal with HIV symptomatically--if a person develops an infection, we treat the infection. However, we do not have a treatment for the cause--the HIV virus.