Successful treatment of Acanthamoeba rhinosinusitis in a patient with AIDS.
Acanthamoeba infection is a rare, difficult-to-treat, and often fatal, opportunistic parasitic infection in immunocompromised hosts, such as patients infected with HIV. We describe an aggressive nasal and sinus infection by Acanthamoeba spp. in a person with AIDS. The resolution of this Acanthamoeba infection was secondary to a multidisciplinary treatment approach involving a combination of surgery as well as high-dose amphotericin B plus 5-fluorocytosine. In the era of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the present report underscores the need for early identification and prompt aggressive treatment to ensure successful management of this rare but potentially fatal opportunistic infection.
Nachega
J B
JB
Department of Internal Medicine, Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Saint-Luc University Hospital, Brussels, Belgium. jnachega@jhsph.edu
Rombaux
P
P
Weynand
B
B
Thomas
G
G
Zech
F
F
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000187:drug effects*; D000328:Adult; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D000563:Amebicides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000563:Amebicides; D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine