[Neuropathology of HIV encephalitis]

Neuropathologic features of HIV encephalitis are described in 8 cases selected among 36 autopsies of AIDS patients. From an epidemiologic point of view, the author remarks that parenteral drug addict patients are as prone as male homosexual patients to get HIV encephalitis. The surprisingly low incidence of this illness, recorded in the epidemiologic bulletin of Health Ministry is pointed out. Clinicopathologically, the complex nosologic problem and terminologic confusion of AIDS dementia are discussed, as well as the different neuropathologic criteria used to define HIV encephalitis. The term "panencephalitis with multinucleated cells" is proposed to name the neuropathologic lesions of those patients with HIV dementia and who show multinucleated cells as histopathologic hall mark of HIV encephalitis on brain examination. Physiopathologic interpretation about how the HIV affects the CNS is analyzed. Recent etiopathogenic interpretations of HIV dementia are included.