The prevalence of skin disease in HIV infection and its relationship to the degree of immunosuppression. NLM AIDSLINE Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1998. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

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The prevalence of skin disease in HIV infection and its relationship to the degree of immunosuppression.

Br J Dermatol. 1997 Oct;137(4):595-8. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/98052040
Uthayakumar S; Nandwani R; Drinkwater T; Nayagam AT; Darley CR; Department of Genitourinary Medicine, Royal Sussex County; Hospital, Brighton, U.K.

Abstract: A cross-sectional study of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive patients who attended the HIV clinic in Brighton over a 4-month period was carried out to describe the prevalence and severity of skin manifestations in HIV-positive patients and to elucidate their association with the peripheral CD4 cell count and with the HIV disease stage. The subjects were consecutively examined by an experienced dermatologist. Skin manifestations were classified into infections, dermatoses, pruritus and neoplasm. A severity index was derived by scoring each condition as either absent, mild, moderate or severe. One hundred and fifty-one patients were enrolled with a mean age of 38.3 years. One hundred and thirty-nine were homo/bisexual men; 58 were asymptomatic and 35 had acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); 37 had CD4 counts below 200. Skin conditions were present in 138 of the 151 subjects (91.4%). The total number of events was 331. The most frequent problem was infection followed by dermatoses, pruritus and malignancy. The most frequent condition was seborrhoeic eczema followed by tinea and xerosis. We have demonstrated a statistically significant association between CD4 count, disease stage and skin manifestations in HIV-positive individuals.
Keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/COMPLICATIONS/IMMUNOLOGY Adult Cross-Sectional Studies CD4 Lymphocyte Count Human HIV Seropositivity/*COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY *Immunocompromised Host Male Middle Age Prospective Studies Skin Diseases/*COMPLICATIONS/EPIDEMIOLOGY/IMMUNOLOGY Skin Diseases, Infectious/COMPLICATIONS JOURNAL ARTICLEKWDacquiredimmunodeficiencysyndrome/complications/immunologyadultcross-sectionalstudiescd4lymphocytecounthumanhivseropositivity/KWDcomplications/epidemiology/immunologyKWDimmunocompromisedhostmalemiddleageprospectivestudiesskindiseases/KWDcomplications/epidemiology/immunologyskindiseases,infectious/complicationsjournalarticle
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M9820712

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