CHRONIC ACTINIC DERMATITIS ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN-IMMUNODEFICIENCY-VIRUS INFECTION

Chronic actinic dermatitis is a photodistributed, eczematous dermatiti s that preferentially affects elderly men and persists for months to y ears, Its occurrence in individuals infected with human immunodeficien cy virus (HIV) has been described in five patients. We report four add itional cases of this uncommon, chronic photodermatosis associated wit h HIV infection, In two of the patients, photosensitivity was a presen ting disorder leading to the diagnosis of HIV infection, All patients were men of skin type VI with a mean age of 50 years, all had decrease d minimal erythema doses to ultraviolet B, three of the four patients had decreased minimal erythema doses to ultraviolet A and all had CD4 cell counts of <200x10(6)/L.