AbstractIntroduction: acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease of 21^st century, one of the youngest and most studied disease of all times. Extent of this problem is rapidly growing in children. True incidence of CNS involvement is not known although it is thought to occur in most HIV infected children and its incidence is at least 3 times than that in adults. It has been estimated that at least 40% of children with AIDS will have or will present with at least one neurological abnormality. Objective: to find the prevalence of neurological manifestation and study neurological manifestations in HIV positive pediatric patients. Study design: a cross sectional study. Study period: 1^st January 1999 to 31 December 2004. Study settings: Grant Medical College and Sir J. J. group of Hospitals, Mumbai. Data collection: data collected from pediatric ward indoor case papers. Dataentry: was done by doing MS office- Microsoft Excel- 1997-2003 software. Statistical analysis: Statistical analysis was carried out with the help of statistical measures, such as percentages, proportion and using SPSS software. Results: A total of 200 HIV positive pediatric patients were admitted in wards during the study period of which neurological involvement was in 48 (24%) patients, prognosis is bad once there is Central Nervous System (CNS) involvement. Mortality is 3 times as compared to Non-CNS involvement. Commonest presentations were convulsions 23 (56%) and altered Sensorium 11 (23%). Generalized cerebral atrophy was most common findings on neuro-imaging.

Keywords: AIDS, HIV, Neurological Manifestations, Pediatric HIV.