Evaluation of the Impact of Anti-Retroviral Therapy on the Prevalence of Oral Lesions in Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infected Patients

Introduction & Oral lesions have important diagnostic and prognostic roles in HIV infected patients. It seems that HAART reduces the prevalence of oral lesions. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral lesions in HIV infected patients on/not on HAART. In this retrospective study، 40 HIV infected patients receiving HAART and 40 who were not on HAART were evaluated in Behavioral Consultation Center in Kermanshah. The diagnosis of the oral lesions was recorded by using established presump-tive clinical criteria. Data were gathered and analyzed using SPSS version 16 by chi-square test. In the current study 80 HIV infected patients with mean age of 38. 86 were chosen. 72. 5% and 27. 5% of participants were male and female respectively. The most common le-sions in those receiving HAART were hairy leukoplakia، hairy tongue and oral pigmentation. However the prevalence of these lesions had declined in comparison to those who were not on HAART but the difference was not significant (P>0. 05). Although comparing lesions in the two groups showed no significant difference، the total number of lesions significantly reduced in patients receiving HAART (P=0. 046) According to the results of the present study using anti retroviral therapy leaded to reduction in the oral lesions in HIV infected patients. However، more research in this field seems necessary.