This is an autopsy s study performed in a retrospective fashion to determine the incidence of diseases that could affect the Central Nervous System in AIDS. For this purpose, 138 autopsies of patients with AIDS performed at the "Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre ", Brazil, between january/85 and december/90 were studied. All the brains were evaluated macroscopically and microscopically mainly through hematoxylin-eosin staining and if necessary special tecniques like PAS,Grocott, Giemsa and Ziehl-Nielsen were done. Results have revealed 29 (21%) cases with cerebral toxoplasmosis; cryptococosis in 17 (12%); tuberculosis in two (1%) and one case (0,7%) of candidiasis. Besides these inflammatory lesions, 15 (10%)presented vascular lesion; 8(6%) had gliosis and 7(5%) cases had suggestive findings ofHTV-encephalopath. We can conclude that the CNS is a important target affected by AIDS and that cerebral toxopalsmosis is the principal disease in the CNS in AIDS patientes.
AIDS; Central nervous system; Cerebral toxoplasmosis