Frequency of Common Neurological Manifestations among Patients Presenting with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Positivity

Abstract

Background: Unsafe injection practices and injection drug use have been linked to multiple HIV outbreaks in Pakistan since 2003.HIV/AIDS has a wide range of clinical manifestations, and it affects a variety of organ systems. It is neuro-invasive, neurotropic and neurovirulent, and can directly induce nervous system diseases due to its preference for the nervous system.Objective: To determine the frequency of common neurological symptoms in patients who have tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus.Material and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 131 patients for 6 months in the Department of Medicine, Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar (9/7/2019 to 8/1/2020). Routine examinations, CSF cultures, monofilament tests, detailed histories, and ICD-9 criteria inspection were performed on all patients to detect the existence of common neurological symptoms such as TBM, cryptococcal meningitis, peripheral neuropathy, headache, seizures, and dementia. A pre-designed proforma was used to record the data. The data was analyzed us SPSS version 20. Results: The current study showed that 66% of the patients were men and 34% were women with a mean age of 36±10.51 years. Mean duration of the disease was 1±7.33 years. TBM (45%), cryptococcal meningitis (15%), peripheral neuropathy (16%), headache (26%), seizures (28%), and dementia were the most common neurological symptoms (5%).Conclusion: TBM (45%), cryptococcal meningitis (15%), peripheral neuropathy (16%), headache (26%), seizures (28%), and dementia (5%) were the most prevalent neurological symptoms in patients with human immunodeficiency virus positive, according to our findings.Key Words: Neurological manifestations, HIV /AIDS infection.