RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to describe epidemiological aspects of rheumatic disorders observed in HIV-infected patients undergoing highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Patients and methods. This cross-sectional study was conducted from January 1 to June 30, 2008 in the HIV unit of an internal medicine department in Burkina Faso. All patients who had been undergoing HAART for at least one year were included. Interviewing and thorough physical examination were performed in all cases. Radiography of the pelvis and hip was performed in some patients. Bone densitometry was never performed. RESULTS: A total of 366 patients including 265 women and 101 men (sex ratio of 0.38) were included. Mean patient age was 39.61 +/- 8.54 years. Three hundred and thirty-five patients (91.53%) were positive for HIV1, 17 (4.64%) for HIV2 and 14 (3.83%) for both HIV1 and HIV2. Mean duration of infection was 3.58 +/- 1.88 years. Mean CD4 cell count was 394.20 cell/microL. A recent HIV viral load determination was available for 285 patients including 262 who had no detectable virus. Mean duration of HAART was 35.80 +/- 15.17 months. Only 61 patients (16.66%) were treated with protease inhibitor (PI). The prevalence of rheumatic disorders was 5.73% (21 cases). A variety of disorders were observed, i.e., lower back pain in 8 patients (38.1%), arthralgia in 4 patients including 2 treated with PI, osteoarthritis of the knee in 2 patients, Pott disease in 2 patients, De Quervain disease in 2 patients including one treated with PI, tendinitis of the shoulder in one patient treated with PI, gout in one patient treated with PI and unclassifiable inflammatory rheumatism in one patient. No case of symptomatic osteonecrosis or osteoporosis was observed. CONCLUSION: Rheumatic disorders are uncommon in the HIV-infected patients undergoing HAART in Burkina Faso. The most likely explanation is that PI is not widely used.