Central nervous system side effects of antiviral drugs

The use of antiviral drugs (AVD) has greatly expanded in the last few years, and these drugs are frequently used in patients with impaired functions and barriers, and therefore a higher risk of adverse effects. However, it is difficult to ascribe with certainty to these drugs CNS symptoms which can be caused by the viral disease itself. In this paper, we reviewed the available informations on CNS side effects of commonly used AVD. No large case-control or cohort study has been published and most informations come from single case reports or short series, in which the neurological symptoms have not been fully described. It is concluded that ad hoc studies are urgently needed to exactly know the extent of the problem and it is suggested that physicians should be prepared to recognize and carefully describe the early manifestations of AVD neurological toxicity.