[Polyneuropathies in patients treated with HAART in Bobo-Dioulasso hospital, Burkina Faso]

Peripheral neuropathies (PN) represent the most common neurological manifestation in patients with HIV infection. Introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) had a significant impact on the epidemiology of HIV-associated neuropathies even in poor-resources countries. HIV-infected patients were followed up over a 2-years period from January 2002 to December 2003. PN was clinically diagnosed based on abnormalities of ankle reflexes or vibratory perception and if patients described pain, paresthesia or numbness. Electromyography was not performed in this study Among the 133 HIV-infected patients treated with HAART 31 patients (23 females and 8 males) with 38.8 of mean age were followed up for PN. 95.5% among them were HIV1-infected. According to the availability of the antiretroviral therapy, 9 patients were treated with protocol A including lamivudine + stavudine + nevirapine, 12 patients with protocol B including combination of stavudine + lamivudine + efavirenz, and 10 patients with protocol C with other combinations of antiretroviral therapies. Average CD4 cell count was 229.3/microl and 60% of the sample had200 CD4 cell counts at the time of diagnosis. PN occurred within 5.6 months from the institution of the HAART and 80% less than 3 months after the beginning of the treatment. Burning feet syndrome was found in 16.1% of the sample. 45.2% of polyneuropathies occurred in late stage of HIV infection (200 CD4/microl). The presence of PN was related to decreased CD4 cells counts and neurotoxic antiretroviral therapy Introduction of HAART has modified the course and the prognosis of HIV infection even in poor resources setting. The incidence of toxic neuropathies is increasing with longer patients' life expectancy and represents a major factor in treatment limitation and the neurological side effects of HAART should be well identified by physicians.