Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of oral lesions and systemic diseases in HIV- infected subjects and to assess possible relationship between them. This was a cross-sectional analytical study. Oral examination was performed in HIV-infected adult individuals. CD4+ count and viral load were recorded and systemic diseases classified. The most common oral lesions were oral candidiasis (26.8%), oral hairy leukoplakia (7.3%) and salivary gland enlargement (6.1%), and systemic diseases were diarrhea (36.6%), HPV infection (24.4%), genital herpes (18.3%), gonorrhea (14.6%), herpes zoster virus infection (13.4%), toxoplasmosis (13.4%) and syphilis (12.2%). A significant association was found between oral lesions and systemic diseases (p = 0.005) and particularly with diarrhea (p = 0.010). There was a significant association between oral candidiasis and systemic diseases (p = 0.030), STDs (p = 0.039), diarrhea (p = 0.023), Pneumocytis jiroveci pneumonia (p=0.014) and furunculosis (p = 0.014). The results indicate high prevalence of oral lesions in conjunction with similar prevalence of systemic diseases; oral candidiasis and systemic infections were noted especially.

Key words: AIDS, oral candidiasis, systemic disease.