Unilateral calcification and contrast enhancement of the basal ganglia in a child with AIDS encephalopathy.

For the majority of adults and children with AIDS, the disease is associated with neurologic manifestations [1, 2]. In children, a progressive encephalopathy has been described that often has characteristic findings on CT scans, including diffuse cerebral atrophy with secondary enlargement of the ventricular system [2-4] and symmetrical bilateral calcifications of basal ganglia and white matter adjacent to the frontal horns [3-4]. In addition, contrast enhancement of the basal ganglia has been noted in association with basal ganglia calcification [4] . This report describes a child who presented with unilateral calcification and contrast enhancement of the basal ganglia, signs of a progressive encephalopathy, and evidence of infection with the AIDS retrovirus HTLV-III/LAV (human T-Iymphotropic virus type III/lymphadenopathy associated virus) [5, 6]. The child did not have clinical AIDS. The presentation of HTLV-III/LAV infection in children with neurologic signs and symptoms associated with a focal finding on CT scan makes recognition of the characteristic radiographic appearance imperative for correct diagnOSis.