Neurological manifestations of HIV disease

We report the results of neurological evaluation of 1,527 HIV positive subjects. Neurological complications were seen in 457 patients (481 neurological events). The prevalence was 20.24% of patients attending the out-patient clinic and in 44.57% of in-patients. Involvement of all levels of neuraxes was documented. The commonest manifestations were neuropathies, including herpes zoster (28.27%), meningitis (17.88%) and mass lesions (16%). Cryptococcal meningitis was clearly commoner than tubercular meningitis (67.44% vs 18.60% of all cases of meningitis, respectivelv). Amongst mass lesions, 14/24 single lesions and 27/38 multiple lesions responded to anti-toxoplasma treatment and were diagnosed as CNS toxoplasmosis. In abscence of biopsy, it would be prudent to initiate empirical anti-toxoplasma treatment for all HIV patients with mass lesions and assess clinical and radiological response. To our knowledge this is the largest series of neurological manifestations of HIV disease documented in Indian literature.