Due to immunosuppression, the HIV seropositive persons have multiple and widespread cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions, whereas in immunocompetent patients, the lesions are localized and are mostly of the single type. The co-infection of HIV with Candida may be an important exogenous factor that may influence the severity and the rate of the disease progression in HIV infected individuals [12]. In the present study, oral candidiasis (32.22%) was the most common mucocutaneous manifestation which was seen in the HIV positive persons, which collaborated with the findings of other workers (35.33%) [13]. It was reported to be 61% in another study which was done in the same institution [14] (p<0.001), whereas other workers had reported it to be 45% and 11.50% respectively [15,11]. Oropharyngeal candidosis has been reported to occur in from 50-95% of all the HIV positive persons at some point during their progression to full-blown AIDS [16]. A comparative study on the carrier state of Candida and its speciation in the oral flora among healthy individuals, in persons with Diabetes mellitus and in HIV positive individuals was done by other workers and they found a higher carriage rate(54%) in the HIV individuals as compared to that in the other two groups [17]. The ulcerative and the non ulcerative genital diseases in HIV hold importance, as they share a common mode of transmission with HIV. In the current study, the incidence of genital herpes was 6.66%, whereas other workers reported it to be 5.5% [18]. In the present study, the other various genital lesions were leucorrhoea which was caused by the T. vaginalis infection (4. 44%), the Genital Discharge Disease (GDD) in males (3.33%) and primary chancre (2.22%), whereas other workers reported them to be 4% (leucorrhoea)3, 2% (GDD)3 and 7.17% (primary chancre) [19]. respectively. Several studies have shown that the T. vaginalis infection was associated with an increased risk of the HIV infectivity and transmission. T. vaginalis may amplify the HIV-1 transmission by increasing both the susceptibility in an HIV-1 negative person and the infectiousness in an HIV-1 positive patient [20]. Syphilis afflicts up to 25% of the HIV-positive individuals, and it can present in the primary stage as a chancre, in the secondary stage with mucocutaneous features and in the tertiary stage with neurologic and cardiac involvement [21]. In this study, genital warts were present in 7.7% patients, which corroborated with the findings of other workers (7.1%) [22], where as other workers reported them to be present in 6%. patients [23]. However, we did not come across any abnormal clinical presentations of these STDs or any other mucocutaneous disorders in these HIV infected cases. The incidences of these mucocutaneous disorders were quite high among our HIV positive patients as compared to that in the HIV negative patients. In the current study,13.33% had a recurrent Herpes zoster infection with narcotizing ulcers in a multidermatomal involvement, which was similar to the findings of the studies of other workers (19.44%) [16]. Herpes zooster can occur early in the course of the HIV disease and it generally precedes the other skin manifestations of the HIV disease. In the patients with HIV, it can present with necrotizing ulcers in a multidermatomal pattern, it can last longer than the usual 2-3 weeks, and it can heal, leaving prominent scars [21]. The next manifestation in the present study was seborrheic dermatitis(8.88%). Almost similar findings were reported by other workers(8.5%) [11]. Seborrhoic dermatitis is one of the common noninfectious skin conditions in India, with a prevalence rate of 8% to 21% in HIV positive patients [8]. This is an entity which is characterized by erythema and scaling of the central part of the face, which involves the nasolabial folds and the eyebrows, as well as the scalp [24].

It is found in up to 40% of the seropositive patients 24 and in up to 80% of the patients with AIDS as compared to its incidence in 3% of the seronegative population [25].

In the present study, the incidence of the pruritic papular eruptions was 7.77%,whereas other workers reported it to be 32.23% [26]. A papular pruritic eruption is a unique dermatosis which is associated with the advanced HIV infection, which is characterized by sterile papules, nodules, or pustules with a hyperpigmented, urticarial appearance and pruritis [27]. The next common manifestations were gingivitis and apathus stomatitis (4.44%) each, whereas other workers reported it to be 82.9%, 17.33% and 3% respectively [22,13,3]. Severe periodontal diseases have been associated with the alterations in the host immune system, which can predispose to gingivitis and the development of periodontitis. Moreover, the relevance of the immune system in the protection of the periodontal tissues has been documented and the impairment of this system could aggravate the periodontal status [28] Previous studies have shown that the microbiology of gingivitis and periodontitis in the HIV patients may differ significantly in comparison to these periodontal pathologies in immune-competent individuals [29,30].

The incidences of the oral Herpes simplex type-I infection, dermatophytosis and scabies were 3.33% each in our study, whereas they were reported to be 5.7% (oral Herpes simplex type-I infection) [21], 8% (dermatophytosis)15 and 4% (scabies) [23] by other workers. Two patients of scabies had a severe crusted form of scabies on the palms and soles, along with dystrophy of the nail plates of the toes. The crusted scabies could be considered as an opportunistic infection of AIDS, as it was related to the cutaneous immune response,6 while in immunocompetent patients, this form of scabies was not normally seen.