The impact of facial lipoatrophy treatment with polymethyl methacrylate in AIDS patients as measured by four quality-of-life questionnaires

Abstract

Life-expectancy increased in patients infected with HIV/AIDS with the advent of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART). Facial lipoatrophy is a common complication in these patients, eventually leading to stigma, segregation and a negative impact in quality of life (QOL). We measured the impact of the treatment of facial lipoatrophy with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) in the QOL of patients with HIV/AIDS by using four questionnaires that address QOL. Forty consecutive patients on ART referred for facial lipoatrophy treatment were enrolled in this study. The first 20 were allocated to the intervention group and were treated with tissue augmentation with PMMA. The other 20 were allocated to the control group, which received treatment only after six months. At baseline, four questionnaires were applied to all patients in both groups and again after six months. The variation in scores within the control group for all domains of all four instruments was significantly better when compared with that within the control group. We detected improvement in the QOL of patients with HIV/AIDS and facial lipoatrophy when they were treated with PMMA.