DERMATOLOGICAL FEATURES OF AIDS IN WESTER N AFRICA - ABOUT 140 OBSERVATIONS

This clinical survey, carried out during a 3 years period in the Derma tological Department of Bouake Hospital (Ivory Coast) analyses the ski n and mucous membranes troubles caused by AIDS among adults. It is the first of that kind in Western Africa. 140 patients were concerned, sh owing carious dermatological troubles, 25 of them were counted. Few tr opical skin diseases have their clinical picture altered by immunodefi ciency. However, the Buruli ulcer may be described, which has in this condition a particularly development. We have underlined the particula rities of some ubiquitous diseases, either because they appear on blac k skin (seborrheic dermatitis, Kaposi's sarcoma, prurigo, woolly hair syndrome, ichtyosis) or because they were neglected, or because they t ake an extensive form (chronic herpes, profuse condyloma). At the end of the survey, we are proposing a classification of the dermatological troubles, according to their features which might suggest AIDS. On th is account, erythroderma, scattered forms of Mycobacterium ulcerans in fection, and noma, find a place among the troubles suggesting adult AI DS in sub-saharian Africa.