Abstract
Opportunistic infections often coexist with human immunodeficiency virus (HIv) infection in brain. Making the correct diagnosis is often difficult despite recent in neuroimging techniques. 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) is an emerging non-invasive examination for diagnosis and monitoring of brain disorders. 1H MRS measures a variety of organic compounds using magnetism and radio waves. Biochemical aberrations in brain, not shown by conventation tests, may be demonstrated by 1H MRS testing. A patient coinfected with HIv and hepatititis B (HBV) presentd with progressive dementia. Clinical, neuroradiological and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examinations failed to provide a diagnosis in support of either HIV-1- associated cognitive/motor complex or HBV- induced hepatic encxephalopahy (HE). 1H MRS was used in an attmpt to discriminate between these dianoses. Spectroscopy demonstrated increased glutamine and normal N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) levels, metabolic changes consistent with HE. The findings were later confimed patholoigically. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a non-invasive test with utility for the differential diagnosis of HIV-assoiciated dementia.