Pattern of Otorhinolaryngological Disorders in HIV Positive Paediatric Patients at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH)

Background: HIV is a worldwide disease and affects all systems of the body. Despite the high burden of Paediatric HIV in Nigeria, few studies have been done on Otolaryngological disorders in children living with HIV. This study aimed to determine the pattern and prevalence of Otorhinolaryngological disorders among HIV positive paediatric patients and to compare them with age and sex-matched control.

Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional case-control study carried out among 130 HIV positive and 130 HIV negative children aged 6 to 15 years at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH). Eligible patients were recruited via a systematic sampling method and matched with HIV negative controls and an interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to extract relevant information. All patients had Otorhinolaryngological examination and CD4 count determination, while children with tonsillar enlargement underwent X-ray of the post nasal space. HIV patients were graded for severity using WHO clinical Staging.

Results: A higher proportion of the HIV positive patients had allergic rhinitis (66.9% vs.30.8%, p=0.01), pharyngitis (40.8% vs.18.5%, p=0.01), tonsillitis (34.6% vs.20.8%, p=0.013), adenotonsilar disease (24.6% vs. 13.8%, p=0.028), cervical lymphadenopathy (15.4% vs. 5.4%, p=0.001) and otitis media (5.4% vs. 0.8%, p=0.031). There was a significantly higher prevalence of ORL disorders among HIV positive children (95.4%) compared to HIV negative children (78.5%). (P=0.001).

Conclusion: Pattern of ORL disorder appeared similar in both HIV-positive and -negative children. However, the overall high prevalence of the findings among the HIV-positive children required regular ORL assessment in these children.