PHOTOSENSITIVITY AS PRESENTING SIGN OF HIV-INFECTION - CURE WITH ANTIRETROVIRAL TRITHERAPY

Background. Ne report a case of photosensitivity which occurred as the presenting Sign of HIV infection,Photosensitivity regressed completel y after introducing antiretroviral tritherapy. Case report. A 44-year- old woman developed a photodistributed eczematous eruption which did n ot respond to topical steroids or hydroxychloroquine. Histologic exami nation showed eczematous dermatitis. T-cell marker analysis showed a m ajority of CDS cells in the infiltrate. The patient was found to be HI V-positive and CD4 counts were markedly reduced to 190/mm(3) while CD8 counts were increased to 1260/mm(3). Antiretroviral tritherapy cured the photosensitivity. Cure was apparently related to increased CD4 lym phocyte and normalized CD8 lymphocyte counts. Discussion. Photosensiti vity was the presenting disorder of HIV infection in this case. Cure o f the photosensitivity with antiretroviral tritherapy has not been rep orted previously, CD8 T-cell infiltration and very low CD4/CD8 ratio w ould appear to play a key role in the pathogenesis of photosensitivity in these patients.