A comparative study on the occurrence of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae in 554 patients with AIDS and in 142 patients suffering from infectious diseases other than AIDS was conducted during the period from January 1987 to December 1988. The two groups was constituted by male individuals in-patients at Emílio Ribas Hospital - São Paulo. Faeces samples from 696 patients were submitted to spontaneous sedimentation method and Rugai method. The data obtained from the present investigation demonstrated a similar prevalence of Strongyloides stercoralis in both groups (p > 0.05) indicating no significant statistical differences.