Imaging methods as a diagnostic tool in neuro-AIDS. A review

Abstract

Since 1983, central nervous system (CNS) involvement in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is well recognized. Imaging methods are important in diagnosing AIDS-related primary and secondary CNS processes as HIV-1-associated encephalopathy, cerebral toxoplasmosis, primary CNS lymphoma, cytomegalovirus (CMV) encephalitis, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), and infectious spinal cord granulomas. This paper presents a review of typical AIDS-related CNS findings as seen in morphological radiologic techniques, i.e. cranial computed tomography (CCT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Furthermore, the paper discusses the value of CCT, MRI and functional (positron emission computed tomography = PET, single-photon emission computed tomography = SPECT, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy) as well as morphometric imaging methods in evaluating subclinical HIV-1-related cerebral deficits and predicting their clinical course.