Prevalence of oral manifestations of HIV infection in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 1988 to 2004

After the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy ( HAART), several studies have shown a decrease in the prevalence of HIV-associated oral lesions. The goal of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of oral manifestations of HIV in Brazil. A retrospective epidemiologic analysis was performed of medical records of HIV-positive patients who attended Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital and the Stomatology Clinic of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro from 1988 to 2004. Gender, age, mode of HIV transmission, level of education, history of opportunistic infections, smoking, CD4 counts, viral load, antiretroviral therapy, and presence and site of oral lesions were assessed. One thousand twelve medical records were reviewed, resulting in 1230 entries in the study's database: 920 men and 310 women. There was a positive correlation between the prevalence of women, patients older than 40 years of age, and patients with 11 years or less of education. HAART was associated with a lower prevalence of oral manifetations. The prevalence of oral manifestations decreased throughout the years, while an increase occurred in the prevalence of oral warts and HIV-associated salivary gland disease (SGD). This study implies a social trend of AIDS in Brazil with an increase in the number of females, people 40 years of age and older, and with lower educational background. In Brazil, it can also be observed a reduction in the prevalence of oral manifestations reported worldwide and an increase in the prevalence of oral warts and SGD. To our knowledge, no study of this time frame has been done in a Brazilian population.