Orofacial manifestations in Brazilian people living with HIV/AIDS under long-term antiretroviral therapy: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of orofacial manifestations in a Brazilian cohort of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHIV) using long-term combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) and to correlate the presence of these manifestations with clinical and laboratory characteristics.

STUDY

DESIGN

A cross-sectional observational study evaluated 101 Brazilian PLWHIV. Demographic characteristics, medical history, and laboratory data were collected. Physical examination and measurement of stimulated salivary flow were performed.

RESULTS

The study included 101 participants who were mainly male (61%) and White (73%), with an average age of 48 years, using long-term cART. The most common oral manifestations were facial lipoatrophy (33%), xerostomia (30%), and salivary gland enlargement (12%). Facial lipoatrophy was linked to a longer duration of cART use (P = .002), whereas hairy leukoplakia was linked to a detectable viral load (P = .031). The salivary flow of <0.7 mL/min was associated with an HIV infection time >20 years (P = .023).

CONCLUSIONS

People living with HIV/AIDS who use cART often experience facial lipoatrophy, xerostomia, and bilateral enlargement of the parotid glands. Although opportunistic infections and malignant neoplasms are not frequent occurrences, they can still arise.