1. Cerebellar degeneration and progressive ataxia associated with HIV-virus infection.
- Author
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Pedroso, José Luiz, Gama, Maria Thereza Drumond, Barsottini, Orlando G., Vale, Thiago Cardoso, Ribas, Gustavo, Kristochik, Julio C.G., Germiniani, Francisco M.B., Teive, Helio A.G., Fink, Maria Cristina Domingues da Silva, and Oliveira, Augusto Cesar Penalva de
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CEREBELLUM degeneration , *ATAXIA , *NEUROLOGICAL disorders , *HIV-positive persons , *IMMUNE reconstitution inflammatory syndrome - Abstract
Introduction: The spectrum of neurologic disorders associated with HIV infection is very broad, resulting from direct virus invasion, opportunistic infections, malignancies and toxic effects of drugs.Methods: Among a large cohort of ataxia patients (N = 1050) evaluated between 2008 and 2017, we detected four patients with HIV-infection who developed a pure progressive cerebellar ataxia syndrome combined with cerebellar atrophy.Results: Adverse drug effects, opportunistic infections and malignancies as well as immune-reconstitution syndrome were ruled out based on history and laboratory data. The exact pathophysiological mechanisms of ataxia in HIV patients is not very clear, but seems to be immune-mediated or a direct neurotoxic virus effect leading to apoptosis of Purkinje and granular cells.Conclusion: HIV infection should be investigated in adult patients with undetermined sporadic progressive pure ataxia with cerebellar atrophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2018
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