Successful treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi encephalitis in a patient with hemophilia and AIDS.
Although the frequency of infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing dramatically in areas where Trypanosoma cruzi is endemic, trypanosomiasis has been rarely reported in persons with HIV infection or AIDS. Persons with hemophilia who receive multiple blood product transfusions from blood banks with little or no screening for infectious agents are at particularly high risk for infections with both HIV and T. cruzi. We describe the case of a person with hemophilia who was infected by blood transfusion with HIV and T. cruzi and in whom a multifocal, necrotic trypanosomal encephalitis was demonstrated by brain biopsy and electron microscopy. Treatment with benznidazole followed by that with itraconazole and fluconazole was associated with significant clinical and radiographic improvement.
Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Chile, Santiago.
A
A
Solari
H
H
Saavedra
C
C
Sepúlveda
D
D
Oddó
G
G
Acuña
J
J
Labarca
S
S
Muñoz
G
G
Cuny
C
C
Brengues
F
F
Veas
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D015725:Fluconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006467:Hemophilia A / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D017964:Itraconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D065227:Transfusion Reaction; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use
D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D017964:Itraconazole; D015725:Fluconazole; D007654:Ketoconazole; C009999:benzonidazole