Assessment of the oral health status of healthcare-seeking adults living with HIV in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

AIMS: This study looks to assess the oral health status in the study subjects and to quantify the prevalence of WHO defined HIV-related oral stage 3 and 4 lesions (HIV-OL) as those conditions are indicating need for treatment independently of CD4 count. METHODS: This quantitative screening study used both structured questionnaire and clinical examination to determine the prevalence of HIV-OL in 83 adults living with HIV randomly selected from a list of service users at a community based HIV organization. RESULTS: The screening revealed a 40 % (95%-CI: 30-51%) prevalence of HIV-OL in this population where 71 are under Antiretroviral Therapy (ART). Most frequent HIV-OL found were persistent oral candidiasis (19% prevalence), and acute necrotizing gingivitis/stomatitis (18% prevalence) Prevalence of HIV-OL was correlating with CD4 count. Patients with multiple HIV-OL have a mean of 133 CD4 cells/µl, patients with a single HIV-OL have 327 CD4 cells/µl and patients without HIV-OL do have a mean of 457CD4 cells/µl (ANOVA-p=0.002). 6 of 12 patients not taking ART yet were found to have stage 3 or 4 HIV-OL. 46 (55%) of the study population had poor or very poor oral hygiene and 29 (35%) had never had an oral examination, 36 (43%) had attended only for extraction. Only 4 of 54 patients who had previously accessed oral health care have revealed their HIV status to the dentist at that time. CONCLUSIONS: Wider access to oral healthcare is required for people living with HIV in Kathmandu Valley/Nepal. In this setting HIV-OL are still an important consideration in assessing patients living with HIV, which can have decisive therapeutic implications. Stage 3 and 4 conditions are, independently of CD4 count, indication to start ART without delay in people living with HIV.

Cysticercosis of the tongue.

Cysticercosis is a condition in which a human being acts as the intermediate host of Taenia solium, a pork tape worm. The oral mucosa is an uncommonly involved site. A rurally living 35 year old vegetarian female presented with a swelling over the right side of her tongue of seven months duration. Histopathology of excisional biopsy revealed it to be cysticercosis. Diagnosis of cysticercosis was clinically unsuspected. The patient was referred to the general medical clinic for further treatment.