title: Response to oral and intravenous azithromycin in a patient with toxoplasma encephalitis and AIDS.
abstract: We present a patient with AIDS and toxoplasma encephalitis who was unable to tolerate established therapy with sulphadiazine or clindamycin but responded to oral azithromycin and pyrimethamine. The patient was maintained on oral azithromycin but subsequently relapsed after 8 months. The recurrence was successfully treated with intravenous azithromycin. The case illustrates that azithromycin can be used to treat patients with toxoplasma encephalitis who are unable to tolerate or fail to respond to other therapeutic agents. Failure of oral azithromycin may be due to inadequate tissue concentrations and patients may further benefit from intravenous administration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Leicester Royal Infirmary, U.K.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wiselka
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Read
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Finch
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017963:Azithromycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017963:Azithromycin