Clinical outcome of long-term survivors of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy.

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the brain caused by the polyomavirus JC (JCV) in immunosuppressed people. There is no cure for PML but 1-year survival has increased from 10% to 50% in HIV-infected individuals treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. We describe herein the clinical outcome of 24 PML patients whose survival exceeded 5 years, with a mean follow-up of 94.2 months (range, 60-188 months). Of all patients, only two were females including one who had non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and was HIV negative. All 23 HIV-positive patients received highly active antiretroviral therapy, and additional experimental therapies were not associated with a better clinical outcome. Marked neurological improvement occurred in 4/24 (17%) of patients, while 11/24 (46%) had partial improvement and 9/24 (37%) remained stable. By the end of the period of observation, 8/24 (33%) of patients had no significant disability despite persistent symptoms (modified Rankin disability scale (MRDS) =1), 6/24 (25%) had slight disability and were living independently (MRDS=2), 5/24 (21%) were moderately disabled, requiring some help during activities of daily living (MRDS=3) and 5/24 (21%) had moderately severe disability, requiring constant help or institutionalisation (MRDS=4). Patients with cerebellar lesions tended to have a worse clinical outcome. MRI showed leukomalacia with ventricular enlargement secondary to destruction of the white matter at the site of previous PML lesions, and focal areas of subcortical atrophy with preservation of the cortical ribbon. Of 20 patients tested, 19(95%) had detectable CD8+ cytotoxic T-lymphocytes against JCV in their blood. In absence of a specific treatment, immunotherapies aiming at boosting the cellular immune response against JCV may improve the prognosis of PML.

Spinal cord lesions of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome patient.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a deadly demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, which occurs in immunosuppressed individuals. This disease is caused by a reactivation of the polyomavirus JC (JCV). Clinical presentation can be variable from patient to patient as lesions can occur anywhere in the CNS white matter; however, they appear to spare the optic nerves and the spinal cord. The authors present a case of PML in the setting of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed PML lesions in the spinal cord, discovered during the postmortem examination. This finding is significant because PML has recently been diagnosed in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with the novel immunomodulatory medication natalizumab. Indeed, spinal cord lesions are frequent in MS. Therefore clinicians should be aware that in addition to the brain, PML may also affect the spinal cord white matter.