Objective: The aim of this work was to study the prevalence of skin diseases among inmates in Lomé (Togo) and its relation to their HIV status.
Patients and methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study took place from November 14 to December 5, 2011, in the civil prison of Lomé and included prisoners who agreed to have an HIV screening test.
Results: In all, 194 prisoners, all men (median age: 29 years), were examined during the study period. The group aged younger than 30 years accounted for 51% of the population. Overall, 166 (85.6%) of the 194 prisoners examined had cutaneous lesions; 153 reported that these had developed after their imprisonment. HIV serology was positive in 21 (10.8%) of the 194 prisoners tested. The most common cutaneous diseases were pruritus (n = 62), fungal infections (n = 45), boils (n = 26), eczema (n = 21), and scabies (n = 20). The frequency of skin disorders did not differ significantly between HIV-infected prisoners and those who were not infected (p>0.05).
Conclusion: This study shows a potential for high prevalence of HIV infection and an existing high prevalence of infectious dermatosis among these prisoners. It is essential to reduce the overpopulation and crowding in prisons to decrease the prevalence of these skin disorders.
Keywords: HIV infection; Lomé; Togo; prisons; skin diseases.