Oral conditions in HIV patients

OBJECTIVE: It is estimated that almost 38 million people are currently living with HIV, with more than a third presenting oral manifestations. The high degree of immunological weakness of these patients has a huge impact on their quality of life and can be seen clinically in the oral cavity. METHODS: The present study sought to evaluate the oral manifestations most due to HIV infection. This study had as methodology, the active search for information in the databases of the Medline, Lilacs, SciELO, Embase and Cochrane. It was sought to carry out the bibliographic research on the two central themes of this work: buccal manifestations and hiv, mouth care in hiv patients, oral care hiv, oral health in hiv, Aids oral care, Aids oral manifestations, mouth care in Aids patients. RESULTS: It was observed at least 24 different oral lesions reported in the HIV literature, but only ten of them are found consistently, and these, in decreasing prevalence, are oral candidiasis, oral hairy leukoplakia, herpes simplex virus infection. Oral candidiasis was reported as the most commonly found in different countries, including studies in groups that performed antiretroviral therapy. Such lesions may be of bacterial, viral, fungal origin, neoplastic processes and lesions of unknown etiology, as well as periodontal manifestations, which may be aggravated. CONCLSUION: Antiretroviral therapy improves immune competence by attacking HIV viral replication and its immediate start is now recommended for all HIV-infected adults, adolescents and children with oropharyngeal candidiasis according to the guidelines of the World Health Organization.