Toxoplasma encephalitis in HIV: case report.
In Tanzania, no data are available on the prevalence of brain infection by toxoplasma in HIV-infected patients. A case of a 35-year old man with fulminant toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) is reported for the first time. TE was not suspected clinically in our patient who presented with a one week history of severe headache and treated empirically with antimalarial drugs. TE was diagnosed postmortem histologically by haematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical stain with P30 antibody for toxoplasma antigen. The findings in our case support the suggestion that a high index of suspicion for TE should be maintained in HIV-infected patients presenting with focal neurological symptoms. The case highlights the importance of autopsy studies in not only documenting a toxoplasma brain lesion but also in increasing the awareness for its diagnosis in HIV-infected patients in Tanzania and other developing countries.
Ng'walali
P M
PM
Department of Forensic Medicine, Kumamoto University School of Medicine, Japan.
Kibayashi
K
K
Mbonde
M P
MP
Makata
A M
AM
Kitinya
J N
JN
Tsunenari
S
S
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000473:pathology*