[Subacute myelitis revealed by human immunodeficiency virus infection]

Rev Neurol (Paris). 2003 May;159(5 Pt 1):577-80.
[Article in French]

Abstract

A 35 year-old heterosexual man had a six months history of cervical myelitis with progressive paraplegia, leg weakness and paresthesia of the four extremities. Spinal cord MRI showed a high T2 signal intramedullary lesion wide from the bulbo-medullary junction to D4. Post gadolinium T1 sequence revealed an enhancement in front of C3-C4 vertebrae. VIH serology was positive. Corticosteroid treatment achieved a marked improvement. In addition to vacuolar myelopathy, well-known at the advanced stages of the HIV infection (AIDS), myelitis and clinical pictures simulating multiple sclerosis were described during early stages of the infection. These inflammatory lesions of the central nervous system and sometimes of the peripheral nervous system seems to be related to the immune response dysfunction induced by the VIH.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use
  • Extremities / physiopathology
  • HIV Infections / complications*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Myelitis, Transverse / diagnosis*
  • Myelitis, Transverse / drug therapy
  • Myelitis, Transverse / virology*
  • Neck
  • Paraplegia / physiopathology
  • Paresthesia / physiopathology
  • Spinal Cord / pathology*
  • Steroids

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Steroids