title: [HIV-associated myelopathy: an uncommon indicator of AIDS].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Spinal cord lesions are an uncommon mode of discovering acquired immunodeficiency syndrome because they usually appear at a later stage.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report a 58-year-old patient who had a spastic paraparesia and sphincter dysfunction. The spinal cord magnetic resonance imaging showed spontaneous hypersignals on T2-weighted images at the cervical and thoracic levels, enhanced with gadolinium, and without swelling. No cause was found. The HIV serology was positive and allowed us to consider an HIV-associated myelopathy. The antiretroviral therapy led to functional recovery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An HIV serology is suggested whenever an unexplained intramedullary lesion is discovered. Indeed, the diagnosis of HIV-associated myelopathy implies a specific therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Service de médecine interne A, hôpital Saint-Eloi, 80, avenue Augustin-Fliche, 34295 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Konaté
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ceballos
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rivière
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Faucherre
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ciurana
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Le Quellec
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009187:Myelitis; D020336:Paraparesis, Spastic / Q000209:etiology; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology