Benign Lymphoepithelial Cyst of Parotid Glands in HIV Infected Patients on Anti-Retroviral Therapy: A Narrative Review

Human immunodeficiency virus-associated salivary gland disease is a complication seen in patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), with the commonest manifestation being the benign lymphoepithelial cyst (BLEC). The purpose of this study was to systematically review the effects of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Human Immune Virus-infected patients with confirmed benign lymphoepithelial cysts of the parotid gland. The review was conducted between August 2020 and December 2021 using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. Patients infected with a diagnosis of BLEC of parotid gland based were included. Studies from all countries were included with no age, language, and time restrictions. We used Microsoft Excel to create a data extraction form piloted before the official start. Inter-rater agreement was calculated for most of the data collection. The risk of bias was assessed using a Cochrane tool. After reviewing 512 records, 42 met the study criteria with a total of 785 patients. The median sample size of all eligible studies was 10 ranging from 2 to 60. The pooled mean age was 29 years ± 24.2. Studies primarily assessed the effect of ART on BLECs. Patients examined in the studies ranged from children to the elderly. Studies from South Africa had a higher proportion of women while American studies had a higher proportion of men. There is evidence that ARVs are effective in treating BLEC and may be used as first-line therapy for HIV infected patients.