A papular eruption associated with human T cell lymphotropic virus type III disease

The clinical spectrum of human T cell lymphotropic virus type III (HTLV-III) disease is associated with myriad cutaneous findings, commonly of infectious origin. A clinically characteristic, yet histologically nonspecific, papular eruption was observed in seven of thirty-five patients followed up for HTLV-III disease (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and the related complex). Noncoalescing 2- to 5-mm skin-colored papules of the head, neck, and upper trunk typify the lesions. Histologically, a chronic perivascular infiltrate of mononuclear cells was regularly present. The eruption was often, but not always, pruritic. The clinical course was chronic. Many patients had persistent lesions for more than 9 months; however, the number of papules tended to wax and wane with time. Although the cause of this eruption is unknown, it is sufficiently distinct and frequent to be recognized by clinicians as a cutaneous sign of human retrovirus infection.