Herpetic lumbosacral radiculoneuropathy in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection.

We report 4 cases of human immunodeficiency virus infection associated with lumbosacral radicular dysfunction and urinary retention. Three of these cases had the so-called Elsberg syndrome in that their symptoms were associated with genital herpes. In 1 case, different herpes simplex virus types were isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and genital swabs. Lumbosacral radiculoneuropathy with urinary retention caused by herpes viruses can develop not only with an initial genital herpes infection, but also due to reactivation of a latent herpes virus.