Oral lesions in children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus infection

Fifteen vertically HIV-infected children aged between 2 and 12 years were f ollowed up for 1 year, weekly to monthly, to study the incidence of oral le sions. At the time of first examination, oral candidiasis (OC) was observed in nine children. Seven children presented with the erythematous type only and two with pseudomembranous oral candidiasis. Four cases of cheilitis we re seen in association with the erythematous forms of oral candidiasis. One erythematous candidiasis progressed to pseudomembranous form. A second cas e of erythematous OC, after multiple recurrences in the form of erythematou s OC, recurred as pseudomembranous OC. Another case of erythematous OC and one of pseudomembranous OC presented after multiple recurrences as a persis tent, adherent pseudomembranous OC. An orofacial herpes-tester infection, a hairy leukoplakia and a necrotic lingual ulcer were observed as second les ions and in association with oral candidiasis in three children. Erythemato us oral candidiasis was the most frequent oral HIV-related lesion, was obse rved in different stages of HIV-infection, and in some cases progressed to pseudomembranous candidiasis. A different, selectively resistant, Candida c lone was isolated in three cases of recurrent candidiasis.