Cerebrospinal fluid manifestations of the neurologic complications of human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) cytology, white blood cell (WBC) count and protein were evaluated in 32 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) or an AIDS-related complex who manifested a variety of neurologic symptoms. Of 17 patients with AIDS-related encephalitis (ARE), 13 had hypocellular CSFs; elevated WBCs and pleocytosis were noted in 4, multinucleated giant cells in 2 and elevated CSF protein was found in 4 of 8 specimens tested. Three patients with central nervous system (CNS) toxoplasmosis had unremarkable CSF cytology findings, but all had elevated CSF proteins.