Oral manifestations of HIV infected children undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy

Oral manifestations in paediatric HIV infection are diverse and show differences in clinical presentation and severity from that of adults. Very little data exist for oral lesions in paediatric population in India. We aimed to evaluate the oral manifestations of Paediatric HIV seropositive patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The cross sectional study was conducted on forty four HIV positive children in the age group of 8–14 years undergoing HAART at NGO centres in Salem district were included in the study. Children were examined for oral lesions and diagnosed in accordance with European council Clearinghouse-World Health Organization. Patients were classified with respect to their immune status based on CD4 count. The common oral manifestations associated with HIV were found to be reduced with the introduction of HAART.