Otolaryngology problems in the immune compromised patient--an evolving natural history.

As the human immunodeficiency virus is being detected in increasing numbers of asymptomatic individuals at risk, newer earlier patterns of disease have become apparent--including cranial and cervical herpes zoster, oral hairy leukoplakia, and oral candidiasis--thus linking viral and other disease to the development of acquired immunodeficiency disease (AIDS). Many similarities between patients with AIDS and other immunosuppressed patients have emerged. As immunosuppressed patients survive longer, they begin to manifest cancers such as lymphomas and squamous cell cancers in addition to Kaposi's sarcoma. Otolaryngologists can learn to identify and treat otitis and sinusitis in the immunosuppressed patient, to identify predictive early signs such as oral hairy leukoplakia, herpes simplex virus, and oral candidiasis, and to diagnose and treat Kaposi's sarcomas of the head and neck, lymphomas, squamous cell cancers, and opportunistic infections as the immunodeficiency disease progresses.