Predictive Value of Seborrheic Dermatitis for HIV infection in Lagos; Nigeria

ABSTRACT

Background: Cutanenous lesions with high frequency in HIV/AIDS patients such as Kaposi's sarcoma; herpes zoster and generalised pruritic papular eruption have unequivocally proven valuable in Africa and elsewhere as predictive signs for HIV infection. Reports have associated a high prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis in HIV infected persons. Aim: To evaluate the predictive value of seborrheic dermatitis in the diagnosis of HIV/AIDS infection in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) skin clinic.Methods: A prospective case-control study was conducted at the skin clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) over a 23-month period (April 2001- February 2003). One hundred and eighteen patients with clinically diagnosed seborrheic dermatitis and one hundred and nine controls were tested for HIV seropositivity. Statistical analysis was performed using EPI info version 6.0. P values 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Eleven patients with seborrheic dermatitis were HIV seropositive with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 9.3. Only one (0.9) of the control group was seropositive. It was also found that patients with seborrheic dermatitis who were seropositive were mainly in the older age group (40-59 years) and had more widespread lesions. Conclusion: Seborrheic dermatitis has significant positive predictive value for HIV/AIDS infection and corroborates existing literature. Routine screening of persons over 40 years of age with seborrheic dermatitis or those with widespread lesions is recommended