Journal of AIDS & Clinical Research

Skin Manifestation among HIV Patients and Its Correlation with CD4 Count and WHO Clinical Staging in Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Abraham Tamirat Gizaw and Meron Ageze

Background: More than 90% of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV+) infected patients develop skin lesions at some time throughout the course of the disease. Several skin diseases have proved to be sensitive and useful indicators of progression of HIV+ infection. Although these conditions may be seen in general healthy population, their occurrence in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is often atypical, more severe and explosive. Objective: The aim of the study was to assess the magnitude and prevalence of skin manifestation among HIV patients in JUSH ART Clinic. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted among HIV patients in JUSH ART Clinic using a structured data collection format and the data was collected from patient’s record (card) and was analyzed by using SPSS version 20. The result was presented using numbers, ratios and tables. Results: Of 268 HIV/AIDS, patients who have follow-up in Jimma University Specialized Hospital (JUSH) Antiretroviral therapy (ART) clinic 137 (51.1%) were having skin manifestations. The commonest type of skin lesion identified was Herpes Zoster, 74 (54%). This study showed that HIV positive (HIV+) patients with advanced stages of skin disorders had relatively lower CD4+ cell counts. Skin manifestation was significantly associated with WHO clinical stage with P=0.019 and CD4+ cell count with a P-value 0.0001. Conclusion: Skin diseases are highly prevalent among HIV- Positive patients and the frequency and number of these manifestations are well correlated to the patient’s immune status and World Health Organization (WHO) staging. Therefore, examination of skin disorders, as early diagnosis and management of skin problems will improve the quality of life in HIV positive patients.