Operational Research on the Correlation Between Skin Diseases and HIV Infection in Tigray Region, Ethiopia

The study from the Tigray region of Ethiopia, conducted between 2005 and 2007, found a significant correlation between skin diseases and HIV infection among 1044 HIV positive patients. Skin and mucous membrane disorders such as tongue papillary atrophy (80%), oral hairy leukoplakia (69%), herpes zoster (66%), oral candidiasis (50%), pruritic papular eruption (43%), condylomata acuminata (38%), and telogen effluvium (27%) were notably correlated with HIV infection. The high frequency of oral disorders and telogen effluvium among HIV patients suggests these conditions could be used as indicators for HIV case detection. The study emphasizes the importance of training health workers in diagnosing these conditions to improve early HIV detection and treatment outcomes in resource-limited settings.