Skin symptoms of the HIV infection

Skin symptoms of the HIV infection

The most common maladies are fungal and viral infections and skin tumors. Symptoms observed on the skin or the mucous membrane are important for the diagnosis in the case of an unknown HIV status, while in the case of a known infection, they have prognostic significance.

Here follows some of the more common skin symptoms and diseases that have a proven diagnostic or prognostic significance, and therefore help doctors to identify HIV infection.

Herpes simplex

In HIV-infected patients, the symptoms are often long-term, painful blisters accompanied by fever. They most often appear around the mouth, on the genitals, or in the case of the homosexual risk-group, around the rectum.

Herpes zoster

In some cases, it even recurs after high-dose antiviral therapy. This illness ordinarily would only occur once in a lifetime. This difference is due to the weakened immune system.

Molluscum contagiosum

These warts appear on around 8-10% of people infected with HIV. There may even be hundreds of such papulas on a single person. Among young adults, the appearance of a high number of uncommon-sized molluscums can be the first symptoms of the HIV-infection. This symptom therefore has a diagnostic significance.

Fungal infections

Fungal infection of the skin and the mucous membrane is quite common among HIV-infected patients. Commonly resistant to the treatment.

Kaposi sarcoma

A tumor with diagnostic and prognostic significance. It is a malady strongly associated with AIDS.

Seborrhoeas dermatitis

One of the most common skin symptoms, particularly on the middle of the face, it can be present from the onset of the infection. It can be an early indicator of the imminent development of the rest of the symptoms.

Extremely dry and itchy skin, pimple-like rashes:

They are scratched papulas, 2-5 mm in size, on the trunk, the face, and on the limbs, very often unbearably itchy. They come on in spasms in HIV-infected patients, and once these symptoms appear, they recur during their whole life.