Oral Manifestations of HIV/AIDS Among Patients Attending Antiretroviral Therapy Clinic at University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with a spectrum of oral manifestations that can serve as early clinical indicators of disease progression and treatment response. While antiretroviral therapy (ART) has significantly reduced the severity of opportunistic infections, oral lesions continue to affect a substantial proportion of HIV-positive individuals in Nigeria. This descriptive cross-sectional study evaluates the prevalence and pattern of oral manifestations among adult patients receiving ART at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Borno State, North East Nigeria. A total of 185 patients were clinically examined using standardized WHO classification criteria for oral HIV lesions. Data captured include ART regimen, CD4 count, duration on treatment, and the presence of specific oral conditions. Results indicate that oral candidiasis was the most prevalent lesion, present in 28.6% of patients, followed by hairy leukoplakia and necrotizing ulcerative periodontitis. Patients with CD4 counts below 200 cells per microliter demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of multiple lesions. Awareness of the relationship between oral health and HIV status was low among participants. The study recommends the routine integration of oral examination into ART clinic protocols at UMTH and similar centers across the North East, and the training of ART healthcare workers in basic oral lesion recognition. Keywords: HIV/AIDS, oral manifestations, antiretroviral therapy, Maiduguri, CD4 count.