WARTS AND MOLLUSCUM CONTAGIOSUM

Skin involvement in the autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) encompasses a myriad of neoplastic, infectious, and inflammatory disorders. As the body's natural immune mechanism deteriorates, susceptibility to bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic agents increases along with noninfecrious inflammatory diseases. This has led to a dramatic increase in reports throughout the medical community of unusual and atypical pathology associated with this syndrome. In this article, the basic histopathologic changes accompanying AIDS disorders will be examined. Cutaneous disorders can be categorized according to cause or the effect of a causative agent. This article organizes and discusses AIDS-related disorders based on the effect of the infectious, neoplastic or inflammatory condition on epithelia and/or mesenchyme. Broad categories will include neoplastic disorders, inflammatory disorders, or proliferative states induced by infectious agents (Table 1). By organizing our discussion in this manner, an orderly progression from scanning power microscopic impression to high power diagnosis can be delineated. A brief discussion of clinical presentation shall be included to aid in clinicopathologic correlation. © 1991.