Cirelli A, Ciardi M, Salotti A, Rossi F; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 1991 Jun 16-21; 7: 214 (abstract no. M.B.2130).
University of Rome "La Sapienza", Rome, Italy
OBJECTIVE: At the Institute of Infectious Diseases we have studied clinical forms of HIV encephalitis to establish their features and their evolution also in relation to zidovudine therapy. We describe the unusual Gerstman syndrome (agraphia, acalculia, fingeragnosia) in an AIDS patient. METHODS: We have studied 25 consecutive cases of HIV encephalitis; the diagnosis was made on clinical basis and confirmed by neuroradiological examination (TC scan, MRI). One patient, male, 43 years old, bisexual. Three years after a diffuse lymphopathy and after repeated oropharingeal candidiasis showed abruptly mental confusion, short and long term memory deficits, speech slowness, slight left side paresis with iperreflexia and gait ataxia. Preminent over all symptoms were a progressive agraphia, acalculia and fingeragnosia. MRI showed cortical atrophy, subcortical areas of high-signal intensity in left frontal parietal and occipital lobes and in the temporal lobes bilaterally. After administration of godopentate dimeglumine, analogous lesions were shown in the region of splenium of corpus callosum. Brain biopsy proved HIV encephalitis. The patient started therapy with zidovudine. RESULTS: The patient is still alive after 7 months and in treatment with zidovudine; his general conditions are good, his mental deterioration slightly improved. CONCLUSIONS: We documented a Gerstman syndrome during HIV encephalopathy, with RMI showing lesions in the splenium of corpus callosum. This lesion is classically connected with particular cognitive impairment as in our patient. Zidovudine therapy seems to be effective in slowing the progression of mental deterioration. At our knowledge this syndrome was never described in HIV encephalopathy.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- AIDS Dementia Complex
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Agnosia
- Agraphia
- Corpus Callosum
- Encephalitis, Viral
- Humans
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Male
- Mental Disorders
- Occipital Lobe
- Syndrome
- Zidovudine
Other ID:
UI: 102183053
From Meeting Abstracts