[Nervous system changes in infants with HIV virus. Neuropathological picture]

The neuropathologic examination of symptomatic perinatal HIV infection was performed using a large group of cases from New York Medical Centers. Macroscopic evaluation demonstrated many cases with microencephaly and others with brain atrophy. Microscopically in a part of them, as far as in others without microencephaly/atrophy changes corresponding to HIV encephalitis were found, including multinucleated giant cells, microglial nodules and perivascular infiltrations. In other brains in which inflammatory changes were minimal, myelin lesions were also observed and the picture corresponded to the diagnosis of encephalopathy. In addition lesions of cortico-spinal tracts, mineralization within the basal ganglia and changes of vascular walls with secondary parenchymal lesions were found. Opportunistic infections and neoplastic changes were rare. The review demonstrated the picture of neuropathological changes in pediatric cases that died of AIDS.