Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Brief Clinical Note

A case of primary HIV infection presenting as mononeuritis multiplex

Hideki Sugimoto, M.D.1), Shingo Konno, M.D.1), Kiyoshi Takamiya, M.D.2), Hiroshi Nemoto, M.D.1), Nobuo Wakata, M.D.1) and Teruyuki Kurihara, M.D.1)

Department of Neurology1), and Laboratory Medicine2), Toho University Ohashi Medical Center

A 34-year-old man presented with gait disturbance. He had a low grade fever and diarrhea for a few days prior to admission. Two weeks after he started to have diarrhea, he developed gait disturbance with a left foot drop. The cerebrospinal fluid obtained on admission showed pleocytosis (30/μl) and increased protein. The motor nerve conduction velocities (MCV) of the left peroneal nerve and the tibial nerve were slow, but the right peroneal and tibial MCVs were within normal limits. A test for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) antibody was positive. The Western blot was positive with bands of gp160 and p24, confirming HIV infection. Seroconversion-related neuropathy of HIV was diagnosed. Acute HIV infection should be included in the differential diagnosis of mononeuritis multiplex. Before full-fledged AIDS development, it is important to find early stage of HIV infection in patients, so that we can treat them more effectively by means of anti-HIV drugs.

(CLINICA NEUROL, 46: 561|563, 2006)
key words: HIV infection, seroconversion-related neuropathy, mononeuritis multiplex, primary infection

(Received: 9-Mar-06)