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Cerebral aneurysmal dilatation in an infant with perinatally acquired HIV infection and HSV encephalitis

M L Nunes1, A P Pinho, A Sfoggia

  • 1Serviço de Neurologia, Hospital São Lucas, Faculdade de Medicina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. magdalahorgue@conex.com.br

Arquivos De Neuro-Psiquiatria
|April 12, 2001
PubMed

Insights

A rare case of a 1-month-old infant with congenital human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and herpes encephalitis developed a giant brain aneurysm. This highlights unusual cerebrovascular complications in infants with HIV.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Vascular Neurology

Background:

  • Neurological dysfunction is common in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.
  • Symptomatic cerebrovascular disease is infrequent in childhood HIV/AIDS.
  • Cerebral aneurysmal arteriopathy in pediatric AIDS typically has a long latency period.

Observation:

  • A 1-month-old infant with congenital HIV infection and herpes encephalitis presented with cardiorespiratory arrest and coma.
  • A giant saccular aneurysm of the left basilar artery was identified.
  • This represents a potentially the youngest reported case of aneurysmal arteriopathy in an infant with HIV and herpes encephalitis.

Findings:

  • Cerebral aneurysmal arteriopathy is an uncommon manifestation in newborns and infants.
  • The co-occurrence of congenital HIV, herpes encephalitis, and a giant basilar artery aneurysm in an infant is exceptionally rare.
  • The case prompts discussion on the roles of HIV and herpes simplex virus in the pathogenesis of such vascular lesions.

Implications:

  • This case expands the understanding of rare cerebrovascular complications in pediatric HIV infection.
  • It underscores the importance of considering unusual vascular pathologies in infants with combined viral infections.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the specific mechanisms linking HIV and herpes simplex virus to aneurysmal formation in neonates.

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