title: Central pain from cerebral abscess: thalamic syndrome in AIDS patients with toxoplasmosis.
abstract: We describe two patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed classic thalamic syndrome (TS) due to Toxoplasma abscesses in the thalamic region. Treatment with amitriptyline provided substantial relief in both patients. Postmortem examination in one case revealed a lesion in the internal capsule and thalamic reticular nucleus. These observations indicate that (1) TS can result from an isolated lesion in the internal capsule and reticular nucleus of the thalamus, (2) cerebral abscess can cause classic TS, (3) central pain can be added to the many pain syndromes that afflict AIDS patients, and (4) an analgesic response to amitriptyline is possible in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Cincinnati, OH.
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herskovitz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Foley
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kanner
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Portenoy
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D001922:Brain Abscess / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology*; D013577:Syndrome; D013786:Thalamic Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000150:complications*