A comparative study of the various patterns of oro-cutaneous fungi and their sensitivity to anti fungals between HIV patients and normal healthy individuals.

BACKGROUND

Dermatological diseases are the first recognized clinical manifestation Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).1, 2 The present study was undertaken to find out the clinical spectrum of the superficial mycoses, the etiological organisms and their drug sensitivity patterns among HIV positive patients and non HIV individuals attending the tertiary care hospital.

METHODS

The study population was 100 HIV patients and control patients were consecutive 100 HIV negative patients. Skin scrapings and swabs were obtained from the upper back, web spaces of toes, inguinal region, dorsum of tongue. All the samples were subjected to potassium hydroxide mount and stained with Calcoflour White and were cultured. The fungi were identified on the basis of colony and microscopic features in conjunction with results of physiologic evaluation by standard phenotypic identification criteria.

RESULTS

The total number of seropositive patients who had atleast one fungal infection was 57 and the total number of seronegative patients who had atleast one fungal infection was 21. In our study, fungal colonization was seen in 3.6% in clinically normal sites in retropositive patients and 1.6% in retronegatives. 76.59% in retropositive and 85.71% in retronegative patients the fungi cultured were sensitive to fluconazole.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this study suggest that the skin of HIV patients may more frequently harbour common fungi even in the absence of visible clinical signs. Antifungal-resistant fungi should be kept in mind while treating fungal infections.