Chagasic meningoencephalitis: case report of a recently included AIDS-defining illness in Brazil.
Recently, reactivation of Chagas disease (meningoencephalitis and/or myocarditis) was included in the list of AIDS-defining illnesses in Brazil. We report a case of a 52-year-old patient with no history of previous disease who presented acute meningoencephalitis. Direct examination of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed Trypanosoma cruzi. CSF culture confirmed the diagnosis. Serological assays for T. cruzi and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were positive. Despite treatment with benznidazol and supportive measures, the patient died 24 hours after hospital admission. In endemic areas, reactivation of Chagas disease should always be considered in the differential diagnosis of meningoencephalitis among HIV-infected patients, and its presence is indicative of AIDS.
Madalosso
Geraldine
G
Instituto de Infectologia Emílio Ribas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Pellini
Alessandra C Guedes
AC
Vasconcelos
Marileide J
MJ
Ribeiro
Ana Freitas
AF
Weissmann
Leonardo
L
Oliveira Filho
Gilberto Silva
GS
Penalva de Oliveira
Augusto C
AC
Vidal
Jose E
JE
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D000208:Acute Disease; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009593:Nitroimidazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000302:isolation & purification*
D009593:Nitroimidazoles; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; C009999:benzonidazole