Research progress of HIV-associated myelopathy

Abstract

The wide usage of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) leads to reduction of the occurence rate of focal or diffuse neurological damage caused by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, which prominently improves the living quality of HIV-infected patients. Despite this progress, about 70% of HIV-infected patients develop neurological complications. Although neurological disease typically occurs in the advanced stage of the disease or after severe damage of immune functions, it may also occur during early stage of the infection. HIV-associated myelopathy is a common complication of immunodeficiency syndrome and its typical pathological appearence is vacuolar degeneration. In many patients the clinical manifestations of vacuolar myelopathy are in fact limited to non-specific sphincter or sexual dysfunction, and may remain completely asymptomatic. Even when motor and sensory symptoms become evident, the diagnosis is often complicated by a concomitant peripheral neuropathy. The purpose of this study is to summarize pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, pathological features, diagnosis and treatment of HIV-associated myelopathy.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2016.08.004