Rare Mouth Fungus Viewed as Early Indicator of AIDS
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ATLANTA — A relatively rare mouth fungus has been detected in a number of AIDS patients and can be viewed as an early indicator of the fatal disease, researchers said Thursday.
The condition, known as “hairy leukoplakia,” appears as raised white areas on the tongue. Seventy-eight of 79 persons tested with the condition at a San Francisco health center showed signs of having been exposed to an AIDS virus, and at least 42 out of a group of 123 patients with the condition developed acquired immune deficiency syndrome, the national Centers for Disease Control said.
About 95% of all patients with AIDS, which cripples the immune system’s ability to fight disease, show symptoms in the head and neck. Many mouth ailments, including oral candidiasis, a fungal infection, have been reported as warning signals for AIDS.
Hairy leukoplakia “may be of diagnostic value as an early indicator” of AIDS infection, the CDC said in its weekly report.
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