Inflammatory neuropathy in homosexual men with lymphadenopathy

Twelve homosexual men had peripheral neuropathy with fever, night sweats, and lymphadenopathy. Sensory symptoms predominated, but there was also weakness and cranial nerve dysfunction. Manifestations were multifocal in nine and distal and symmetric in three. CSF was abnormal in all eight patients examined. Sural nerve in five patients showed axonal degeneration, accompanied in two by segmental demyelination. Four patients had epineurial and endoneurial perivascular chronic inflammatory cells without evidence of vasculitis. Neuropathy remitted spontaneously in six patients. Four patients received steroids without clinical response, although one later responded to plasmapheresis-lymphocytapheresis. Four patients later progressed to AIDS.