Remission of HIV-associated myelopathy after highly active antiretroviral therapy.
HIV-associated myelopathy is the leading cause of spinal cord disease in HIV-infected patients. Typically, it affects individuals with low CD4 T cell counts, presenting with slowly progressive spastic paraparesis associated with dorsal column sensory loss as well as urinary disturbances. Other aetiologies must be first ruled out before establishing the diagnosis. We report here the case of a 37-year-old woman with advanced HIV disease, who developed HIV-associated myelopathy. The patient showed a gradual improvement after beginning with highly active antiretroviral therapy and, finally, she achieved a complete functional recovery. In addition, neuroimaging and neurophysiological tests normalized.
Fernández-Fernández
F J
FJ
Department of Internal Medicine, Complexo Hospitalario Universitario Xeral-Cíes, Vigo, Spain. fjfer@mundo-r.com
de la Fuente-Aguado
J
J
Ocampo-Hermida
A
A
Iglesias-Castañón
A
A
D000328:Adult; D019380:Anti-HIV Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D023241:Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D019438:Ritonavir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000821:virology*; D015215:Zidovudine / Q000627:therapeutic use
D019380:Anti-HIV Agents; D017320:HIV Protease Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D015215:Zidovudine; D019438:Ritonavir