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Human immunodeficiency virus-associated pure motor lumbosacral polyradiculopathy
1Department of Medicine, Suite KS-406, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA 02215, USA. mbenatar@caregroup. harvard.edu.
Background:
Neuromuscular disease is a common manifestation of human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, but isolated and severe pathology confined to the motor roots or anterior horn cells are not a recognized clinical entity.
Objective:
To describe the novel clinical presentation of human immunodeficiency virus-related polyradiculopathy manifesting as isolated severe motor symptoms confined to the legs.
Design:
A case series comprising 4 patients identified prospectively during a 6-month period.
Setting:
Patients were seen in the Department of Neurology, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa. This is an 800-bed teaching hospital, with approximately 5000 patients seen annually in the Department of Neurology.
Patients:
Patients were identified by their unique presentation with a severe isolated motor neuropathy in the lower limbs. All were Xhosa-speaking African women.
Result:
Early human immunodeficiency virus infection may be associated with pure motor lumbosacral polyradiculopathy.
Conclusion:
It remains unclear whether this clinical syndrome should be regarded as a variant of the Guillain-Barre syndrome or whether it represents a unique disorder associated with early human immunodeficiency virus infection.