Still, much of the neurologic damage may be permanent. But even though ART (plus the effect of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis against toxoplasmosis) have led to a dramatic decrease in most other opportunistic infections of the CNS, rates of PML have remained rather constant.

Does PML ever go away?

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the brain caused by the polyomavirus JC (JCV) in immunosuppressed people. There is no cure for PML but one-year survival has increased from 10% to 50% in HIV-infected individuals treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).

Can PML be cured?

“There is no treatment for PML at present, other than removing any treatment that might be causing the immune-suppressed state, and the condition is often fatal,” lead author of one of the reports, Irene Cortese, MD, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, told Medscape Medical News.

In general, PML has a mortality rate of 30-50 percent in the first few months following diagnosis but depends on the severity of the underlying disease and treatment received. Those who survive PML can be left with severe neurological disabilities.