Infections other than AIDS

Neurologic manifestations of severe infectious complications of drug abuse and chronic alcoholism are reviewed in this article. Portals of entry from cutaneous postinjection infections and multiple vascular injection sites may lead to pyomyositis, tetanus, infective endocarditis, meningitis, brain abscesses, and vertebral osteomyelitis. Chronic intranasal abuse of cocaine may be followed by frontal osteomyelitis, botulism, brain abscess, and visual loss. Problems of hepatitis, malaria, and syphilis in drug abusers are discussed also.