Dermatoses among Brazilian HIV-positive patients: correlation with the evolutionary phases of AIDS

Background The presence of dermatoses is very common in Acquired Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The present study was undertaken to correlate the various dermatoses with the evolutionary phases of AIDS. Methods We examined 223 HIV-infected patients older than 13 seen at the University of Sao Paulo, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto, from 1989 to 1993. Patients were divided according to the CDC classification and assigned to groups I, II and III (initial stages of AIDS) and to group IV (fully symptomatic stage of AIDS). Results The mean frequency of dermatoses detected in patients with AIDS was higher compared to the early phases of HIV infection. The most frequently detected dermatoses were, in decreasing order of occurrence, dermatoses of fungal etiology, and desquamating disorders, such as psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, xerosis, and viral dermatoses. Conclusions A careful examination of skin and mucosae may be highly useful for the diagnosis of HIV infection. The number of dermatoses tended to increase during the more advanced stages of infection.