Prosthetic Management of Palatal Perforation Secondary to Chronic Rhinosinusitis in an HIV Individual: A Case Report

Abstract

Palatal perforation can be due to congenital or acquired causes. Aetiologies of palatal perforations include developmental 
disorders, infections, immune suppressed state, malignancy, and drugs abuse among others. Patients with palatal perforation 
experience various problems among which are phonation, feeding difficulties and psychological trauma. In this article, we 
discussed a rare case of palatal perforation due to chronic sinisitis in a 42-year-old HIV positive patient. The perforation was 
managed with a close hollow bulb palatal obturator, following which there was an improvement in patient’s phonation, feeding 
and psychological wellbeing. Palatal perforation should be seen as one of the possible complications in an HIV patient with low 
CD4 count and the defect can be managed by the use of prosthesis.