title: Intraocular microsporidiosis due to Encephalitozoon cuniculi in a patient with idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia.
abstract: Encephalitozoon cuniculi was documented to cause disseminated microsporidial infection including an iris tumor and endophthalmitis in an adolescent with idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia. The diagnosis was established by microscopic, serologic and molecular methods. E. cuniculi (rabbit strain) was identified from the iris tumor, as well as from urine, conjunctival, corneal, and nasal swabs. Treatment with oral albendazole led to rapid improvement. This case raises the possibility of disseminated microsporidial infection in the context of idiopathic CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia and possibly advanced human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and above all the possibility of intraocular infection with E. cuniculi in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland. kodjikian.laurent@wanadoo.fr
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kodjikian
authors.forename: Justus G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Garweg
authors.forename: Mai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schaffner
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Deplazese
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zimmerli
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000469:parasitology*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D009670:Encephalitozoon cuniculi / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D016890:Encephalitozoonosis / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D018344:T-Lymphocytopenia, Idiopathic CD4-Positive / Q000150:complications*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000469:parasitology*