title: Brachial amyotrophic diplegia in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection: widening the spectrum of motor neuron diseases occurring with the human immunodeficiency virus.
abstract: Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive spinal muscular atrophy have been recognized to occur in association with human immunodeficiency virus infection, to our knowledge, brachial amyotrophic diplegia, a form of segmental motor neuron disease, has not been previously reported. Brachial amyotrophic diplegia results in severe lower motor neuron weakness and atrophy of the upper extremities in the absence of bulbar or lower extremity involvement, pyramidal features, bowel and bladder incontinence, and sensory loss. We describe a human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive man without severe immunosuppression or prior AIDS-defining illnesses who had brachial amyotrophic diplegia. This disorder may represent one end of a spectrum of motor neuron diseases occurring with this retrovirus infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40536-0284, USA. jrbneuro@uky.edu
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.forename: Patricio S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Espinosa
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kissel
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D020516:Brachial Plexus Neuropathies / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D002547:Cerebral Palsy / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006678:HIV; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology