ETHNIC AND GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES OF HIV AIDS-RELATED MUCOCUTANEOUS DISEASES

Background. A study on HIV/AIDS-related mucocutaneous manifestations h as been carried out in three different ethnic and geographic areas, na mely Brazil, Denmark, and Thailand. Methods. The Brazil cohort compris ed 110 patients, the Danish cohort 150, and the Thai cohort 206 patien ts. The majority of the Brazil and Thai cohort patients belonged to gr oups III and IV according to the CDC clinical staging system, whereas the patients in Denmark called their doctors earlier and only 8% were classified in groups III and IV. Results. In all three areas the numbe r of mucocutaneous diseases correlated well with the progression of th e HIV disease. Ethnic differences were not identified, whereas geograp hic differences related to skin infections were marked. In the Asian c ohort a generalized fungal infection was detected with characteristic mucocutaneous symptoms caused by Penicillium marneffei. Conclusions. T eaching efforts about mucocutaneous signs as markers of HIV infection may be of value, particularly in developing areas, to allow earlier di agnosis. In future guide lines for classification of HIV/AIDS-related mucocutaneous diseases geographic considerations should be included.