HIV seroprevalence and HIV associated dermatoses among patients presenting with skin and mucocutaneous disorders.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Skin and mucocutaneous disorders are common in HIV infection and may be the earliest manifestation of the disease. The spectrum of these disorders is wide and may vary in different regions due to varying prevalence of various microbial agents. Therefore, we studied the seroprevalence of HIV infection in patients presenting with skin and mucocutaneous disorders and clinical and regional epidemiological profile of seropositive patients.

METHODS

Eleven hundred and seventy patients having any type of skin or mucocutaneous disorders were screened for HIV infection (NACO guidelines) after recording their clinical and epidemiological profile.

RESULTS

Of the 1170 patients screened, 38 (3.24%) were found to be positive for HIV 1 and none for HIV 2 antibodies. Seropositive patients belonged to the age group of 9 to 48 years, with a male:female ratio of 0.9:1. Heterosexuality was the most common mode of transmission (86.8%). A wide range of infectious and noninfectious lesions were observed and herpes zoster was the most common infectious disease (31.5%) followed by mucocutaneous candidiasis (26.3%). The most common noninfectious manifestation was seborrhoeic dermatitis (18.4%) followed by pruritic papular eruptions (7.9%).

CONCLUSION

High prevalence and wide variety of skin and mucocutaneous disorders in HIV-positive patients highlight the importance of better vigilance and early suspicion of HIV infection in such patients.