Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy presenting as IRIS in an AIDS patient. A case report and literature review

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy causes an infection of the central nervous system by JC virus (JCV), a polyomavirus that destroys oligodendrocytes and their myelin processes. Here, we describe a patient with AIDS who developed a progressive multifocal leucoencephalopathy with the clinical and neuroimaging characteristics of the immune inflammatory reconstitution syndrome. Unlike other opportunistic infections, this disease can present when CD4 T cell counts are higher than those associated with AIDS and also when patients are receiving combined antiretroviral therapy. Clinical suspicion of this form of the disease is based on clinical examination that shows focal neurological deficits associated with magnetic resonance images findings. The histopathological examination of brain biopsy smears and the identification of JCV in cerebrospinal fluid or brain tissue are definitive for the diagnosis.