[Infection by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in French Guyana. Dermato-venereologic problems]

Dermato-venereal manifestations in HIV infection and its severe evolution stage, AIDS, is of particular importance in tropical zones: We may be suspicious of the viral infection and consequently to request serologic tests to confirm it. We get an explanation of the virus transmission during heterosexual relations by the frequent occurrence and importance of the genital manifestations, leading to consider AIDS as a true sexually transmitted disease. Beside the classical opportunistic infections, the authors draw the attention to three types of manifestations: prurigo, already well known in Haïti and Africa capillary dystrophies, already reported in Haïti donovanosis that, because its epidemiological and etiopathological peculiarities, should be listed within the possible opportunistic infection if we take into consideration the regional pathological environment. In an other correction, syphilis, lepra and cutaneous leishmaniasis have to be carefully monitored, because they are capable to evaluate unexpectedly in some immunodepressive diathesis. Importance of dermato-venereal pathology in black people in tropical zone is explained by the weakness of cutaneous corneal stratum, immunologic disorders linked up to accumulated parasitic pathologies, socio-cultural life with a sexuality without complex.