[Case of acute primary HIV infection with menigoencephalitis demonstrating high signal intensity of the bilateral globus pallidus in T2-weighted MRI].

A slightly obtunded 59-year-old man admitted for headache and consciousness disturbance after two weeks of fever, sore throat, and general malaise. His cerebrospinal fluid showed a slight increase in the white cell count and protein content. T2-weighted MRI demonstrated high signal intensity of the bilateral globus pallidus. Cerebrospinal fluid culture was negative for fungi and bacteria, including mycobacterium tuberculosis. Negative results for PCR and ELISA made herpes simplex virus encephalitis unlikely. We treated him empirically with aciclovir and cefpirome, conducting further tests because a HIV serological test was positive on admission. HIV RNA was 2.9 x 10(5) copies/ml in the blood. Western blot analysis demonstrated positive bands at gp160, p24, p55, and p68, but negative at gp120, p52, gp41, p40, p34, and p18. These results yielded a definitive diagnosis of acute primary HIV infection presenting as meningoencephalitis. His clinical condition improved over the next few days. Repeated MRI showed a new lesion in the pons on T2-weighted images. No MRI abnormality has reported previously in acute primary HIV infection with meningoencephalitis. High signal intensity in the bilateral globus pallidus and the pons in patients with meningoencephalitis may thus be a useful indicator for acute primary HIV infection.