Abstract

LAZARTE HERAUD, Susana et al. Frequency of HIV infection among adult patients with Herpes Zoster. Rev Med Hered [online]. 2005, vol.16, n.1, pp.19-25. ISSN 1018-130X.

Objective: To evaluate the frequency of HIV infection among adult patients with herpes zoster. Material and Methods: We recruited all patients aged between 18 and 49 at the outpatient Dermatology and Infectious Diseases clinic at the Hospital Nacional Cayetano Heredia who presented with an episode of acute herpes zoster. Inclusion criteria were: unknown HIV status, (both patient’s and his/her sexual partner), no neurological complication or an atypical presentation, and no signs or symptoms suggestive of HIV infection (oral thrush, wasting syndrome, chronic diarrhea, etc). All patients signed an informed consent, their clinical and epidemiological data were recorded and blood was drawn to be analyzed with a HIV-specific ELISA. A confirmatory western blot was done for all ELISA-positive patients. Results: Twenty-one patients were included, 14 men and 7 women. Five patients (23.8%) were both ELISA and western blot- positive. Of these, 4 (4/14) were men, and 1 (1/5), woman. We did not find any statistically significant differences for risk factors between the seropositive and the seronegative groups. Conclusion: There is a high percentage of HIV infection among otherwise apparently healthy young adults with an acute episode of herpes zoster. This finding supports screening for HIV in this type of patients, independently of risk factors.

Keywords : Herpes zoster; HIV.

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