title: [Primary amebic meningoencephalitis: two new cases report from Venezuela].
abstract: Primary amebic menigoencephalitis (PAM) is rare. Two cases of PAM in Venezuelan patients are described. Case 1, a 10 year-old male with headache, fever, vomiting. The patient swam in a water reservoir before the onset of his disease. He died during his third hospital day. Case 2, a 23 year-old male with a history of headache, fever, vomiting, drowsiness, and behavioral disturbances. The patient died on his second hospital day. The diagnosis in both cases was PAM due to Naegleria fowleri. Central nervous system infection by free-living amebas should be considered in meningoencephalitides with bacterial-free cerebro-spinal fluid.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Patología, Hospital General del Sur.
authors.forename: Fátima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: Varinka
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vilchez
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Torres
authors.forename: Omaira
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Saúl
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dorfman
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cardozo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000469:parasitology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005005:Ethmoid Sinus / Q000469:parasitology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008590:Meningoencephalitis / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000473:pathology; D016848:Naegleria fowleri / Q000302:isolation & purification*