Objective: To describe head and neck manifestations of immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (IRIS) in a cohort of HIV-infected patients receiving combined antiretroviral therapy (cART). After initiation of cART, some HIV-infected patients present a paradoxical worsening and clinical deterioration due to pathological inflammatory reactions to infectious or noninfectious antigens, a condition known as IRIS.
Study design: Prospective study with a follow-up period of 6 to 24 months.
Setting: Tertiary referral center in Mexico City.
Methods: Our cohort was integrated by 165 patients who had started cART within the past 2 months prior to study entry. Patients underwent a complete ear, nose, and throat examination (ENT). Laboratory tests (hematology and blood chemistry), cultures from body fluids, and biopsies were performed.
Results: Of the 165 patients studied, 21 (12.7%) presented IRIS in the head and neck region. Kaposi sarcoma was the most common presentation, observed in 7 patients. Tuberculosis-associated IRIS was observed in 6 patients with scrophulas, lymph node enlargement, or retropharyngeal abscess. Other manifestations included herpes simplex I infection and unilateral vocal fold palsy secondary to Mycobacterium avium intracelulare paratracheal abscess and scrophulas, as well as cervical lymph node histoplasmosis and facial palsy.
Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first prospective study describing the different manifestations of IRIS in the head and neck region.