Neurologic complications of HIV infection

Neurologic symptoms are common in HIV-infected individuals, and they result from a wide range of etiologic agents, including HIV itself and opportunistic pathogens. Neurologic syndromes may be presenting features or may occur at any stage of infection, and they affect all levels of the neuraxis. The physician who cares for patients with AIDS must be prepared to recognize these neurologic complications to pursue aggressive diagnosis and, where possible, therapeutic interventions. The possibility of concurrent or unusual pathogens and atypical presentations make care of the AIDS patient with neurologic disease a challenging exercise that requires informed analysis and thoughtful clinical judgment.