Factors affecting the fatal outcome in HIV-infected patients with encephalitis

Abstract

Despite the successful use of ART up to 40-70% of HIV(+) individuals have neurologic complications caused both by the HIV itself and by the reactivation of OIs on the background of severe immunodeficiency. Nowadays, there are no universally recognized criteria that allow predicting the outcome of encephalitis caused by OIs in this category of patients. The aim of our study was to assess factors affecting the fatal outcome in HIV(+) patients with CNS involvement. Retrospectively we selected 53 HIV(+) patients with confirmed encephalitis due to OIs. Depending on the outcome of the disease, patients were divided into groups: non-survivors (n=22) and survivors (n=31), after compared their clinical manifestation, history of the disease and life, CSF results in the first days of admission. It has been established that the factors affecting the fatal outcome in HIV(+) patients with encephalitis are: the severity of the patient’s condition upon admission, acuteness of the onset of the disease, the severity of neurologic symptoms, the degree of co-morbidity, the level of immunosuppression and viral load, absence of ART.