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STUDY TO DETERMINE MUCOCUTANEOUS MANIFESTATIONS AND ITS FREQUENCY AMONG HIV POSITIVE PATIENTS

Dr Hafiz Umer Farooq, Dr Noorish Zia, Dr Zanab Zahoor Ahmad

In HIV-infected patients; mucocutaneous symptoms are usually observed. These range from various opportunistic infections to inflammatory dermatoses, neoplasms and reactions to drugs. Objective: To observe the nature and frequency of mucocutaneous manifestations with or without antiretroviral therapy in HIV patients and their association with CD4 cell count. Study Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study. Place and Duration: In the Dermatology department of Sheikh Zayed Medical College and Hospital, Rahim Yar Khan for Six months duration from January 2019 to June 2019. Methods: The patients were admitted to the HIV clinic and inpatient department of Services Lahore Hospital. Detailed medical history and clinical examination were done in patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Investigations were performed when necessary. The treatment profile was also observed. Data were recorded on pro forma and analysed on SPSS 18.0. Results: Sixty-two patients were included in the study. There were 49 (79%) males and 13 (21%) females. The age range was 4 to 58 years. Cutaneous symptoms were observed in 51 (82%) patients. The most common cutaneous findings were fungal infections, followed by viral infections (29.03%), xerosis (22.58%) and bacterial infections (12.9%) in 33.87% of the patients. Less common symptoms were photosensitivity, scabies and hyperpigmentation. The number of CD4 cells was less than 455x109 in 22 patients and less than 455x109 in 40 patients. Cutaneous manifestations were found in 19 (86.36%) patients with high numbers and in 33 (82.5%) patients with low numbers. Conclusion: Cutaneous symptoms are common in patients with HIV infection. Keywords: cutaneous symptoms, HIV, CD4 count.

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