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[Noma in HIV-infected adults]
1Service de Dermatologie, CNAM, Bamako, Mali. faye_o@yahoo.fr
Annales De Dermatologie Et De Venereologie
|April 3, 2003
Summary
Noma, a severe oral infection, is rare in adults but can indicate advanced HIV infection. Early recognition and HIV testing are crucial for adults presenting with noma symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Oral Medicine
- Dermatology
Background:
- Noma, a necrotizing stomatitis, predominantly affects undernourished children in tropical regions.
- Adult cases of noma are exceptionally rare and have been increasingly associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection, particularly at the Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) stage.
Observation:
- Two adult cases of noma are presented, one in a 37-year-old male farmer and another in a 25-year-old female.
- Both patients presented with severe facial lesions: a mutilating lip ulcer and a necrotic cheek tumefaction, respectively.
- Both individuals had poor health status and tested positive for HIV.
Findings:
- The clinical diagnosis of noma is straightforward, characterized by rapidly progressing facial ulcers with tumefaction, ulceration, and necrosis.
- The presence of noma in adults is a grave prognostic indicator, often signaling underlying HIV infection progressing to AIDS.
Implications:
- Healthcare providers should consider HIV serology in adults presenting with noma.
- Noma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of rapidly progressing necrotic facial lesions in adults, prompting investigation for HIV infection.