Mucocutaneous manifestations of HIV infection: a retrospective analysis of 145 cases in a Chinese population in Malaysia.

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1999. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

Mucocutaneous manifestations of HIV infection: a retrospective analysis of 145 cases in a Chinese population in Malaysia.

Int J Dermatol. 1999 Jun;38(6):457-63. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/99323716
Jing W; Ismail R; Department of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur,; Malaysia.

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mucocutaneous lesions directly related to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection usually present as initial manifestations of immune deficiency. The most common mucocutaneous lesions are Kaposi's sarcoma, histoplasmosis, oro-esophageal candidiasis, oral hairy leukoplakia, and, in Asia, Penicillium marneffei infection. Non-HIV-related skin lesions, such as psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and nodular prurigo, may be the initial presentation among HIV infected patients attending outpatient clinics. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 145 HIV-positive Malaysians of Chinese descent from two centers at the University Hospital Kuala Lumpur (UHKL) and the General Hospital Kuala Lumpur (GHKL) from March 1997 to February 1998. Demographic data and clinical data were analyzed. RESULTS: The analysis showed that 104 out of 145 patients had mucocutaneous disorders (71.7%). In the study, there were 100 men (96.2%) and four women (3.8%). The majority of patients were in the age group 20-50 years. The patients who presented with mucocutaneous disease also had low CD4+ T-lymphocyte counts and most had acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) defining illness. The number of cases with generalized hyperpigmentation was very high in the group (35.9%), followed by nodular prurigo (29.7%) and xerosis (27.6%). Seborrheic dermatitis was seen in 20.7% of cases, with psoriasis in 8.3%. The most common infections were oral candidiasis (35.9%), tinea corporis and onychomycosis (9.7%), and herpes infection (5.5%); however, mucocutaneous manifestations of Kaposi's sarcoma were rare. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that mucocutaneous findings are useful clinical predictors of HIV infection or signs of the presence of advanced HIV infection.

Keywords: JOURNAL ARTICLE Adult China/ETHNOLOGY CD4 Lymphocyte Count Female Human HIV Infections/*DIAGNOSIS/ETHNOLOGY Malaysia/EPIDEMIOLOGY Male Middle Age Retrospective Studies Skin Diseases/*DIAGNOSIS/ETHNOLOGY Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
991030
A99A0881

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