Viral infections of the head and neck among HIV-seropositive patients.

Many viruses cause opportunistic infections in HIV-positive patients. Those that cause oral lesions include herpes simplex, varicella zoster, Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, and papillomavirus. Importantly, many of the herpes-group viruses are able to augment immunosuppression and some actually transactivate HIV replication-inducing genetic sequences. This article reviews the role of viral agents in the activation of HIV replication and details the features of the reported oral lesions that represent viral opportunistic infections.