Skin disease in homosexual patients with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and lesser forms of human T cell Leukaemia Virus (HTLV III) disease

Abstract

The dermatological findings on examination of 13 patients with Aquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and a further 40 who arc anti‐HTLV III positive without AIDS, are presented. Six of the AIDS patients had Kaposi's sarcoma. Five AIDS patients and eight non‐AIDS patients had seborrhoeic dermatitis. Two AIDS and eight non‐AIDS patients have extensive folliculitis. Biopsy proven immune complex vasculitis developed in two AIDS patients shortly before death. One AIDS patient had acquired ichthyosis and another two developed asteatotic eczema and the fourth‘dry skin’. Fungal infection of the skin, angular cheilitis and a recent history of herpes zoster has also been commonly found. The authors believe that these various manifestations can be explained by low T cell immunity and the effects of severe chronic illness.