Oral manifestations of AIDS: an overview

Infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may cause a variety of oral lesions, such as candidiasis, periodontal disease, hairy leukoplakia, Kaposi's sarcoma and a number of miscellaneous lesions and conditions. One hundred HIV-infected patients, including AIDS patients, referred to a University Hospital in Amsterdam, were examined orally. Most patients were initially seen by the Department of Internal Medicine, the oral examination by a well-trained dentist being part of the routine screening of all HIV-infected patients. In 80 per cent of all patients one or more HIV-related lesions of the oral mucosa was recorded. In 6 per cent of those patients the oral lesion was the first manifestation of the HIV infection. Hairy leukoplakia was observed in 15 per cent of all patients. Candidiasis proved to be the most common oral disease. In patients with full-blown AIDS the pseudomembranous form of candidiasis was the most common one, while in HIV-infected patients the erythematous type prevailed. These results emphasize the role of the dentist in making an early diagnosis of HIV infection.