Mucocutaneous manifestations as the first presentations of HIV infection

Background: Mucocutaneous manifestations may occur in every stage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Some of them may be the first presentations. In this study, we evaluated the prevalence of dermatologic manifestations as the first presentations of HIV/AIDS in 25 Iranian patients. Method: In a cross sectional study, we evaluated 25 new cases of HIV infection whose HIV infections were diagnosed during work up for their recent dermatological problems. The type of mucocutaneous manifestations and general information such as age, sex, risk factors, dermatologic problem duration and educational level was recorded in a questionnaire. Result: Warts (anogenital and generalized warts) were the most common cutaneous manifestation in new HIV infected patients (36%) followed by psoriasis and cutaneous abscess. Conclusion: Some mucocutaneous diseases such as anogenital or generalized warts, psoriasis, and cutaneous abscess may present as the first manifestation of HIV infection.