Infectious cutaneous manifestations of HIV infection in children

Cutaneous infections that can also be seen in immunocompetent patients tend to occur early in the course of HIV infection in children. The level of suspicion for the presence of HIV is elevated when these infections are manifested in extensive distributions, at unusual ages of the patient, or with unexpected severity or have a poor response to therapy. With progressive deterioration of the immune system, cutaneous infections become more specific and include organisms or disease patterns typically not seen in immunocompetent children.