Section Editor: Sandy Cheng-Yu Chen, M.D.
Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Figure Caption
HIV encephalopathy (also known as HIV-associated dementia) is a subcortical dementia characterized by cognitive, motor, and behavioral changes. The classic MR imaging findings are patchy, hyperintense, and symmetrical white matter lesions seen on T2-weighted/FLAIR MR images (arrows) in an otherwise mild cortical atrophic brain without mass effect or contrast enhancement. In progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), the white matter involvement is usually bilateral and asymmetrical without significant cortical atrophy. Clinically, HIV encephalopathic patients present with altered cognition, whereas PML is associated with progressive focal motor and sensory deficits.