Publication:

People living with HIV presenting with hemiparesis: what are the possible causes?

People living with HIV (PLWH) are commonly associated with opportunistic infections, particularly with low CD4 count, less than 200 cells/μL. Neurological manifestation can be occurred 70% in PLWH and the most symptoms is hemiparesis, seizure, headache, behavioural changes, decrease of consciousness, and cognitive impairment but depends on the localization of the brain lesions. We present a case of 53-year-old man with initial presentation of right hemiparesis and was on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). With laboratory and CT-scan result, the patient diagnosed with stroke ischemic and occurred at the same time with toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) as an opportunistic infection. In PLWH, many possible causes involve central nervous system-caused hemiparesis. The initial differential diagnosis should be considered to prevent delayed treatment and potential of severe complications.