HIV-associated sensory neuropathy in HIV-1 infected patients at the Douala General Hospital in Cameroon: a cross-sectional study

Peripheral neuropathy (PN) which is the most common neurological complication of HIV infection is under recognised and undertreated especially in resource limited settings. This ailment which has a negative impact on the quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients exists in different clinical patterns of w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	AIDS research and therapy Vol. 9; no. 1; p. 35
Main Authors:	Luma, Henry Namme, Tchaleu, Benjamin Clet Nguenkam, Doualla, Marie Solange, Temfack, Elvis, Sopouassi, Victor Nicolas King, Mapoure, Yacouba Njankouo, Djientcheu, Vincent-de-Paul
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	England BioMed Central 26-11-2012 BioMed Central Ltd BMC
Subjects:	Acquired immune deficiency syndrome Age AIDS Ankle CD4 count Confidence intervals Drug therapy HIV HIV-associated sensory neuropathy Human immunodeficiency virus Human immunodeficiency virus 1 Infections Multivariate analysis Peripheral neuropathy Tuberculosis
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Summary:	Peripheral neuropathy (PN) which is the most common neurological complication of HIV infection is under recognised and undertreated especially in resource limited settings. This ailment which has a negative impact on the quality of life of HIV/AIDS patients exists in different clinical patterns of which HIV-associated Sensory neuropathy (HIV-SN) is the most common affecting up to two thirds of patients with advanced disease in some settings. In Cameroon where HIV is a major public health problem, the burden of HIV-SN has not yet been well defined. Using the Brief Peripheral Neuropathy Screening (BPNS) tool validated by the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) we carried out a cross sectional study to determine the prevalence of HIV-SN and its associated factors among HIV-1 patients at the Douala General Hospital between 1st July and 31st October 2011. HIV-SN was defined as the presence of neuropathic symptoms and at least an abnormal perception of vibrations of a 128Hz tuning fork on the great toe or abnormal ankle reflexes or both and expressed as a percentage of the study population. Out of 295 patients studied, 21% had HIV-SN. In HIV-SN patients the median duration of HIV infection was 79.8 months (IQR 46 - 107.5) and their median CD4 count 153cells/μL (IQR 80 - 280). Patient recall and clinical chart review showed that, 83.9% had neuropathic symptoms prior to HAART initiation and 16.1% after HAART initiation. Low CD4 count, history of alcohol intake and history of anti-tuberculosis treatment were strongly associated with HIV-SN (AOR 2.5, 2.8 and 2.9 respectively). HIV-SN is common among patients with advanced HIV infection in Cameroon. This simple diagnostic tool (BPNS) should therefore be routinely used to detect those with HIV-SN or at risk so as to minimise the negative impact it has on their quality of life.
Bibliography:	ObjectType-Article-2 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-1 content type line 23 ObjectType-Article-1 ObjectType-Feature-2
ISSN:	1742-6405 1742-6405
DOI:	10.1186/1742-6405-9-35