Identifying Symptoms

Symptoms of PML are diverse and may vary from patient to patient depending on what part of the brain is infected by the JC virus (JCV).¹ They may include:²

 

• Loss of language ability
• Personality changes
• Memory loss
• Loss of coordination, clumsiness
• Weakness of the legs and arms that gets worse
• Vision problems
• Headaches
• Seizures

As the disease progresses, symptoms become worse and severe disability or death often results.

 

If your doctor suspects that you may have PML, they may conduct an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to detect any changes in your brain, and assess clinical symptoms (such as loss of language ability, personality changes, loss of coordination, and vision problems). To diagnose PML, they also need to conduct a test for JCV, which involves a spinal tap.

 

 

 

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