title: Pediatric granulomatous cerebral amebiasis: a delayed diagnosis.
abstract: We present four cases of cerebral amebae infection treated at our neurosurgical department. Patient 1 was a 12-year-old male with skin lesions of 2 years' progression involving the midface. He received a corticosteroid course, and, after that, he presented a right body hemiparesis. Patient 2 was a 5-year-old male, with a past surgical history of fibula fracture and osteomyelitis of 1-year evolution, associated with lesions of the surrounding skin that presented with partial seizures. Patient 3 was a 3-year-old female who presented with a stroke-like episode and with partial seizures. Patient 4 was a 6-year-old male who had ulcerative lesions in the face of 1-year evolution. After a corticosteroid course, he presented with right-body hemiparesis. All patients were human immunodeficiency virus-negative and died 1 month or less after surgery because of progressive evolution of the disease. Histopathology revealed granulomatous amebic encephalitis. All patients revealed infection from Balamuthia mandrillaris (Leptomyxiidae). Treatment consisting of pentamidine, clarithromycin, fluconazole, and 5-fluorocytosine was ineffective. Although extremely uncommon, granulomatous amebic encephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cerebral lesions while nonspecific, associated granulomatous skin lesions support the diagnosis of amebiasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital Nacional de Pediatría, Prof. Dr. J. P. Garrahan, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galarza
authors.forename: Vicente
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cuccia
authors.forename: Fidel P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Sosa
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Monges
mesh_terms: D000562:Amebiasis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D000656:Amoeba / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008581:Meningitis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology