Central pain from cerebral abscess: thalamic syndrome in AIDS patients with toxoplasmosis. uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • We describe two patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed classic thalamic syndrome (TS) due to Toxoplasma abscesses in the thalamic region. Treatment with amitriptyline provided substantial relief in both patients. Postmortem examination in one case revealed a lesion in the internal capsule and thalamic reticular nucleus. These observations indicate that (1) TS can result from an isolated lesion in the internal capsule and reticular nucleus of the thalamus, (2) cerebral abscess can cause classic TS, (3) central pain can be added to the many pain syndromes that afflict AIDS patients, and (4) an analgesic response to amitriptyline is possible in these patients.

publication date

  • May 1, 1992

Research

keywords

  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
  • Brain Abscess
  • Pain
  • Thalamic Diseases
  • Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0026729253

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1212/wnl.42.5.1107

PubMed ID

  • 1579236

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 42

issue

  • 5