AIDS and the oral cavity. Epidemiology and clinical oral manifestations of human immune deficiency virus infection: a review

Abstract

Since the first patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) were seen in 1981, the disease has been recognized as an epidemic, now considered a major health threat. This article reviews, on the basis of the literature and personal observations of 120 human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infected patients, some aspects of the HIV (HTLV III/LAV) infection with emphasis on epidemiology and clinical aspects. The clinical oral manifestations include 5 groups of lesions: fungal infections, bacterial infections, viral infections, neoplasms and lesions of unknown etiology. In total, these 5 groups comprise 34 different lesions of the oral cavity.