hie am hiv positive and my cd4 is currently 437, am on bactriun not yet on arvs. am having itchy blisters that look like insect bites all over my body and they leave ugly black marks. want to find out if this a opportunistic infection i hve tried calamine lotion,allergex, emulsifying ointment, acqueous cream.

Skin problems are common in the general population and more common in HIV+ patients. Most of the skin problems seen in HIV patients are not due to opportunitistic infections or caused by HIV medications but there are many possibilities that often warrant careful assessment often involving referral to a skin specialist (dermatologist) for proper diagnosis and /or management recommendations. Folliculitis,contact dermatitis, and /or dry skin are two common skin conditions in HIV+ patients that can cause wide dispersed lesions sometimes similar to what you have described. KH