Study on Oro-Facial Lesions of HIV/AIDS Patients in Guangxi District

1Department of periodontics and oral medicine, Stomatology Hospital affiliated to Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China, 2Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China, 3Guangxi CDC, Nanning, China

Objective: To investigate the oro-facial lesions of HIV/AIDS patients in Guangxi district.

Material and methods: 81 HIV/AIDS patients were included in this study, with 64 diagnosed by the AIDS center, Guangxi Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (GXAIDS-center) and 17 HIV/AIDS patients first reported by Stomatology Hospital affiliated to Guangxi Mecical University (hospital). HIV/AIDS oro-facial lesions were recorded and diagnosed using the EC Clearing House Criteria on Oral Problems related to HIV Infection (1993).

Results: 54 out of 64 HIV-positive patients from GXAIDS-Center had oral complaints, diagnosed as candidiasis (n=39), salivary gland disease (n=21), oral ulceration (n=11), HIV-related gingival disease (n=7), herpetic stomatitis (n=6), zoster( n=3), oral hairy leukoplakia (n=2), Kaposi's sarcoma (n=1), and lymphadenitis(n=1). Several patients had more than one disease. While 17 HIV/AIDS patients from the stomatology clinic included 10 in-patients who were diagnosed with oro-facial tumours (n=8), 1 fracture due to trauma, 1 tuberculous lymphadenitis, as well as 7 out-patients (5 oral candidiosis, 1 oral ulceration, and 1 herpetic stomatitis with p neumonia). During 2001~2006, at most 1 HIV-infected case was reported each year. 5 were reported in 2007, and 7 in 2008.

Conclusion: The majority of HIV-infected patients in this sample had oral lesions and symptoms, which varied from oral mucous disease to gingival disease and included oral tumours. In Guangxi district, HIV antibody testing is not compulsive and most patients are unwilling to test. Dentists never request the patient undergoes HIV testing. Only specialists in oral medicine suggest the patient undertake HIV–testing when certain HIV-associated diseases are considered. For in-patients, HIV testing is usually required, so it suggested that HIV-tests should be suggested for more cases, to make sure HIV/AIDS is diagnosed and treated earlier.

This study was funded by NSFC30160087 30860313 GuangxiNSF0639019