title: Delayed diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus infection in a patient with non-specific neurological symptoms and pancytopenia: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Both non-specific presentation and asymptomatic course of human immunodeficiency virus infection lead to undiagnosed long-term persistence of the virus in a patient's organism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we present a case of a 31-year-old Caucasian man with non-specific neurological symptoms and pancytopenia, who was referred to an internal medicine ward for further diagnosis. Upon admission to our hospital, he denied any past risky behaviors and refused to have his blood collected for human immunodeficiency virus testing. Later, he eventually provided consent to conduct the human immunodeficiency virus test which turned out to have a positive result. The overall clinical pattern indicated an advanced-stage of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, which contrasted with the history he had provided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case report indicates the need to consider human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome diagnosis in patients with non-specific neurological and hematological disorders. Our report also demonstrates difficulties that can be experienced by the physician while trying to obtain both a clear history and consent to perform human immunodeficiency virus testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Sklodowskiej-Curie 24A Street, Bialystok, 15-269, Poland. Marcin.Moniuszko@umb.edu.pl.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moniuszko
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moniuszko
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puciłowska
authors.forename: Karolina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kisluk
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeznach
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grzeszczuk
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Flisiak
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bodzenta-Lukaszyk