Summary

Objective: To document the prevalence of Group II and III oral lesions of HIV in adult seropositive Nigerians.
Study Design: A longitudinal study of 100 HIV infected adult Nigerian patients attending the HIV Clinic of the General Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria.
Study Period: January 2001 to October 2002.
Method: Oral lesions were diagnosed based on documented diagnostic criteria by Greenspan et al, for oral manifestation of HIV. WHO classification of oral lesions based on the degree of association with HIV infection was also used. Oral lesions were treated using established treatment protocols.
Results: Seventy patients had oral lesions of HIV, of these fourteen (20%) patients had Group II and III oral lesions of HIV infection : Five (7%) patients had recurrent aphthous ulcers (RAU), 4 (6%) had herpes zoster of the trigeminal nerve. Majority of patients presented with oral symptoms severe enough to require use of appropriate medication. Recurrence of oral lesions occurred in all cases of RAU seen.
Conclusion: Group II and III lesions are less prevalent than group I lesions in HIV infected adult Nigerians. They may be the presenting oral lesions of HIV/AIDS. These oral lesions of HIV are associated with a lot of pain, morbidity and may also compromise aesthetics. By compromising adequate nutrition and practice of good oral hygiene, they may lead to further deterioration of the health of the patient and can accelerate the course of the disease. Early recognition and diagnosis of these lesions by the oral clinician and/or trained dental practitioner affords the patient the opportunity of receiving prompt and appropriate medical treatment as well as counselling.

Résumé