Movement disorders and AIDS

We studied seven patients with AIDS or AIDS-related complex (ARC) and movement disorders. Three had hemichorea-ballismus, two had segmental myoclonus, one had postural tremor with dystonia, and one had paroxysmal dystonia. Besides the hyperkinesias, two patients had parkinsonism, and one had cerebral Whipple’s disease. In two, the movement disorder preceded other evidence of AIDS; in three others, the diagnosis of AIDS was not considered until there was a movement disorder. The movement disorders were attributed to toxoplasmosis in four patients (one confirmed at autopsy), viral encephalitis, vacuolar myelopathy, and CNS Whipple’s disease.