Transverse myelitis and acute HIV infection: a case report

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2014

Authors

Andrade, P (Author) Other; Figueiredo, C (Author) Other; Carvalho, C (Author) Other; santos, l (Author) FMUP; Sarmento A (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: BMC Infectious Diseases

Vol. 14

Final page: 149

ISSN: 1471-2334

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 9 Citations

Scopus - 21 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-009-8PS

DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-14-149

Abstract (EN): Background: Most HIV infected patients will develop some sort of neurologic involvement of the disease throughout their lives, usually in advanced stages. Neurologic symptoms may occur in acute HIV infection but myelopathy in this setting is rare. Up until this date, only two cases of transverse myelitis as a manifestation of acute HIV infection have been reported in the literature. Therapeutic approach in these patients is not well defined. Case presentation: A 35 year-old male Caucasian recently returned from the tropics presented to our hospital with urinary retention and acute paraparesis. After extensive diagnostic workup he was diagnosed with acute HIV infection presenting as transverse myelitis. Full neurologic recovery was observed without the use of anti-retroviral therapy. Conclusion: Acute spinal cord disorders are challenging, as they present a wide array of differential diagnosis and may lead to devastating sequelae. Timely and rigorous diagnostic workup is of the utmost importance when managing these cases. Clinicians should be aware of the protean manifestations of acute HIV infection, including central nervous system involvement, and have a low threshold for HIV screening.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 5