Intracranial human immunodeficiency virus infection in an infant: sonographic findings

Abstract

Multiple hyperechoic foci were noted on a head sonogram in the basal ganglia and periventricular white matter of an eleven month old, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive male infant. The infant presented with failure to thrive, recurrent viral and bacterial infections, and progressive neurologic impairment. Toxoplasmosis, Cytomegalo-inclusion virus and other "TORCH" infections were excluded. A computed tomography (CT) scan of the brain demonstrated multiple punctate calcifications in the above areas. The literature indicates that these changes might be the result of direct HIV infection of the brain. To our knowledge this is the first reported case of the sonographic findings.