clobetasol and Acquired-Immunodeficiency-Syndrome

A chronic pruriginous eruption of eosinophil-rich follicular papules and pustules is observed in AIDS patients. The pathogenesis of this disease, termed eosinophil folliculitis, is poorly understood and treatment is debated.. A 30-year-old woman with AIDS developed highly pruriginous lesions of 5 month duration localized on the face, the trunk and upper limbs. There were papulo-pustules and excoriated papules. The elementary lesion was a follicular pustula. The eosinophil count was normal. The pathology examination revealed a rich eosinophil infiltration around the hair follicles and sebaceous glands as well as follicular spongiosis. Search for demodex, pityrosporons and a large number of infectious agents was negative. Oral minocyclin was uneffective. Local high-dose corticosteroids produced a remarkable effect and led to complete remission in 9 months.. Most cases of eosinophil folliculitis associated with AIDS have been reported in men, but rarely in Europe. The remarkable efficacy of the local corticosteroid in this case was exceptional. This condition could result from inappropriate inflammatory reaction in AIDS induced by various factors including demodex and pityrosporon. Several therapeutic approaches have been proposed to eradicate the triggering factors and others to modify the immune response. The exceptional response to the short local treatment with corticosteroids would suggest that this approach could be proposed as first intention treatment in eosinophil folliculitis associated with AIDS.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Administration, Topical; Adult; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Back; Betamethasone; Clobetasol; Drug Therapy, Combination; Eosinophilia; Facial Dermatoses; Female; Folliculitis; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Treatment Outcome

Recurrent aphthous ulcers in patients with HIV infection can cause significant morbidity, which makes successful diagnosis and treatment imperative. We have found that the diagnostic paradigm for recurrent aphthous ulcers in HIV-seronegative patients, which is based on the ulcers' clinical appearance, location, absence of other ulcer-causing pathogens or pathogenic processes, and response to therapy, may be successfully applied to recurrent aphthous ulcers in HIV-infected patients. However, one must be alert for ulcers with uncommon causes as well as ulcers with common causes that have atypical clinical appearances that may mimic recurrent aphthous ulcers. The topical glucocorticoids, which are used to treat recurrent aphthous ulcers in HIV-seronegative patients, proved very effective in HIV-infected patients for treatment of herpetiform and minor ulcers and most major ulcers and were without notable side effects. A few severe cases of major recurrent aphthous ulcers required treatment with systemic prednisone, and some side effects were encountered.

Topics: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Administration, Topical; Adult; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Clobetasol; Dexamethasone; Female; Fluocinonide; Glucocorticoids; HIV Infections; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prednisone; Stomatitis, Aphthous