<p>Prevalence of Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) Manifestations Among HIV Seropositive Patients at a Tertiary Hospital in Northern Tanzania: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study</p>

Abstract

Background: To date, HIV/AIDS remains a threat of the 21st century. The overall rate of new HIV infection continues to decline in several countries, but there is still a remarkable burden of disease seen in sub-Saharan Africa. Several studies observed that 70% to 90% of HIV-infected patients present with ear, nose and throat symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify the magnitude of ENT manifestations among HIV-infected patients attended HIV clinics at KCMC based on age, sex, and CD4 count. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted at KCMC hospital involving HIV-infected patients who attended HIV clinics from February to July 2018. Convenient sampling was employed to get study participants, and 200 patients were recruited in the study. Data were collected through a questionnaire from patients, and results were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: Sixty-eight (34%) of 200 HIV-infected patients had ENT manifestations. The most affected age group was 0-9 years. ENT manifestations were more prevalent in females (23.5%) than in males (10.5%). Those with CD4 count less than 200cells/µL also it was a high prevalence (56.3%). Conclusion: This study observed that one-third of the studied population had ENT manifestations. All medical practitioners should be aware of ENT manifestations in HIV-infected patients in order to assure early and appropriate intervention.

Hospitalizations for Acute Otitis and Sinusitis in Patients Living with HIV: A Retrospective Analysis of a Tertiary Center in Romania

“…We identified that most cases were found in female patients, who represented 58.1% of all hospitalizations analyzed. This finding is consistent with the results of the study published by Shija et al [ 5 ], which showed a 67.5% female predominance in ENT pathologies. This distribution reflects the global demographic ratios of HIV infection, where according to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), in 2022, more than 53% of people living with HIV globally were female [ 10 ], and this is particularly true for Romania as well, by contrast with most Central and Western European countries.…”

“…Published data show that a large share of people living with HIV experience ear, nose and throat (ENT) manifestations at some point during the course of their HIV infection and most often during the periods of immune suppression [ 5 ]. Although the clinical spectrum of ENT manifestations is very varied, sinus [ 5 ] and otic [ 6 ] involvement are among the most common. Sinusitis and otitis have been shown to occur more frequently in patients with infection who also have a CD4+ T-cell level below 200 cells/μL.…”