[HIV infection and lymphomatous meningitis]

Lymphomatous meningitis and lymphoma confined to the central nervous system are the most serious neurological diseases in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection. The diagnosis is difficult and it is usually done with advanced systemic disease or when the chemotherapy is finished. During a ten month period, three patients with lymphomatous meningitis and HIV infection were diagnosed in an Infectious Diseases Unit. In one patient, was the initial clinical manifestation of Burkitt's lymphoma and in another, the diagnosis was concomitant with the neoplasm. In the last one, there was a meningeal recidiva afterwards he had received chemotherapy and, theoretically, cured his systemic lymphoma. Clinical, cytologic, immunologic and evolutive study of these three patients is done. It is discussed the meningeal prophylaxis usefulness with intrathecal chemotherapy.