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Onychomycosis in HIV-infected people in rural Ecuador

Abstract:

Onychomycosis, a frequent manifestation in hiv-positive patients, can be used as an indicator of immune function during anti-retroviral treatment. objective. to evaluate the presence of onychomycosis in people infected with hiv in an agricultural area of Ecuador. methods. hiv patients with suspected onychomycosis were included. Scarification lesion samples were obtained, analyzed by light microscopy and microbiological culture. results. 42 subjects were studied, the highest frequency of lesions was observed in the nail plates of the hands than in those of the feet (92.9 versus 7.1% respectively). Trichophyton rubrum and Trichophyton interdigitale were detected in both men and women (60 and 10% for each microorganism), while Candida albicans and Candida spp. detection reached 14 and 10% respectively. In general, multiplicity of microorganisms was observed in samples from women, with a higher frequency of detection of onychomycosis in the hands. conclusions. Onychomycosis surveillance can be a simple and inexpensive way to monitor the immune status of patients living with hiv.