Nongenital dermatologic disease in HIV-infected women

Dermatologic disease in HIV-infected women has not been adequately characterized.

The main purposes of this study were to characterize nongenital dermatologic disease in HIV-infected women and correlate these diagnoses with CD4 lymphocyte count to compare these findings with those in published reports of men.

This study was a retrospective chart review of female patients with dermatologic diagnoses followed up at an HIV clinic in New York City, seen by either a dermatologist (49 patients) and/or a primary care practitioner (114 patients). CD4 lymphocyte count was recorded if available within 6 months of diagnosis; mean CD4 count was calculated for all disorders with 5 or more diagnoses.

Oropharyngeal candidiasis, drug eruption, dermatophytosis, rash (not otherwise specified), nongenital herpes simplex, herpes zoster, and seborrheic dermatitis were the most prevalent diagnoses made by primary care providers. Itchy red bump disease, acne, atopic dermatitis, xerosis, seborrheic dermatitis, nongenital warts, and molluscum contagiosum were the most prevalent diagnoses made by the dermatologist. Mean CD4 lymphocyte count was lowest in itchy red bump disease, nongenital warts, nongenital herpes simplex, xerosis, and drug eruptions.

There appears to be no appreciable difference in the spectrum or prevalence of dermatologic disease in HIV-infected women versus HIV-infected men, except for a lower prevalence of Kaposi's sarcoma, oral hairy leukoplakia, and possibly onychomycosis in women. The degree of immunosuppression associated with various dermatoses in HIV-infected women is similar to that in men, except perhaps for molluscum contagiosum, which may appear earlier in women.