Today, morning report was a discussion of seizures in patients with HIV. Seizures are common in HIV positive individuals. Always think of HIV-related causes and non-HIV-related causes.
HIV-Related causes of seizure included direct cerebral HIV infection, CNS lymphoma, and opportunistic infections such as CNS Toxoplasmosis (most common), Cryptococcal meningitis, CNS TB (tuberculoma rather than TB meningitis). PML is a possible but uncommon cause of seizures. Some medications (such as Foscarnet used to in treatment of CMV infection) can provoke seizures as well.
Don’t forget the other common causes of seizures in adults such as bacterial meningitis, electrolyte and metabolic disturbances, and drug/EtOH intoxication/withdrawal.
Here is a great review on the topic.
Seizures in HIV-seropositive individuals: NIMHANS experience and review. Satishchandra P, Sinha S. Epilepsia. 2008 Aug;49 Suppl 6:33-41.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18754959
* The image is a CT scan slice showing a ring-enhancing lesion with an eccentric nodule, which also enhances. The corticomedullary location and marked surrounding edema are characteristic of toxoplasmosis.
