[Neurophysiologic study in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection].

Peripheral nervous system (PNS) involvement in the form of different neuropathies in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is increasingly more common. We present a series of 20 HIV + patients subjected to neurophysiological study. The most commonly observed neurological disorder was a slight axonal-type sensitivo-distal polyneuropathy that predominantly affected the lower limbs during the early stages of infection. As HIV infection evolves, the polyneuropathy worsens and becomes a sensitivo-motor polyneuropathy with a more important axonal component. Secondary demyelinization is observed, with additional involvement of the upper limbs in the final stages of infection. The most frequent neurophysiological finding was a decrease in somatosensory evoked potential (SEP) and conduction velocity (CV) of the sural nerve.