Abstract

Oral manifestations are the earliest and most important indicators of HIV infection because they can be used to determine whether anti-HIV therapy is used in the staging and classification system and significantly reduces the quality of life of PLWHA. Purpose: This article aims to describe a rare case of recurrent herpetic gingivostomatitis in a PLWHA treated with a single tablet of ARV. Case: A 24-year-old male PLWHA came to the Dental and Oral Hospital of Jember University because of canker sores in the upper and lower mouth, bleeding gums, and itchy lesions on the left corner of the lips. In the left angular oris, there were 5 small vesicles. The upper and lower right retromolar had multiple ulcers, multiple Ø ± 2.5 mm, painful, white, erythematous edges, and clearly defined. Posterior mandible left and right were edema, redness, and spontaneous bleeding. The patient was medicated with betadine gargle, oxy fresh spray 3x a day, and multivitamin tablets 1x a day. A week later, the check-up was done, and the canker sores healed and were no longer painful. The patient routinely used the medication, and there were no side effects. Extraoral examination showed that the angular oris sinistra vesicles had dried and formed crusts. In people living with HIV (PLWHA), although they may be young and consistently taking a single-tablet anti-retroviral (ARV) regimen and have a CD4 count of more than 200 cells/mm³, there is a significant risk of reactivating herpetic gingivostomatitis. In the case of our patient, this reactivation is likely linked to severe psychological conditions stemming from past abuse and his profession as a teacher. Therefore, providing psychological support to PLWHA is essential for enhancing their immune system and improving the effectiveness of their treatment.