Cerebellar Disease without Dementia and Infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)

Excerpt

To the editor: We read with interest the review of major neurologic manifestations of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by Gabuzda and Hirsch (1), and would like to comment on subacute encephalitis. It is known that this syndrome may appear in absence of full-blown acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) or AIDS-related complex as the first manifestation of HIV infection. Important diagnostic difficulties may arise when motor manifestations precede mental or behavioral disturbances. The following patient had an exceptionally prolonged cerebellar syndrome in absence of mental involvement.

A 28-year-old man, an intravenous drug abuser until 1984, was found to be positive for