[Stomatological lesions seen in HIV virus infection. II. Histopathological and ultrastructural studies]

Buccal lesions observed in the clinical setting of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection constitute a diverse group of pathological entities. Several are related to the opportunistic infections observed in association with HIV infection. "Hairy leukoplakia" is a recently described benign lesion that is presumably related to infection by Epstein-Barr virus (E.B.V.). Kaposi's sarcoma is seen somewhat frequently in the oral cavity, especially involving the palate of HIV infected patients. We have observed this lesion 19 times in this location. The diagnosis is usually relatively straight-forward. Both vascular inflammatory and more typical sarcomatous morphology sub-types are present. The salivary glands may show an important lymphoplasmocytic infiltration which is unusual in that associated epithelial changes are not observed. The salivary glands seem to be a seat of the lymphocytic infiltration seen in other organs during the course of HIV infection. As for the changes encountered in the lymph nodes in HIV infection, they represent different stages in the evolution of a dynamic process, which progresses from hyperplasia to atrophy of the lymph nodes.