Lethal Strongyloides stercoralis superinfection in an immunocompromised patient.
In this article, we describe the case of a 49-year-old male gypsy on hemodialysis that was referred to our center due to high fever, breathlessness, and productive cough with bloody sputum. Forty-five days before hospitalization, he was treated for vasculitis with prednisolone and intravenous cyclophosphamide. Soon after admission he was resuscitated and intubated after a cardiac arrest. A large worm load of Strongyloides stercoralis larvae was identified in the sputum. The patient was treated with thiopental 25 mg/kgBW/12 h through a Levine tube and died 24 h later.
Kosmadakis
George
G
Department of Nephrology Gregorios Vosnides, Laiko General Hospital, Athens, Greece. george.kosmadakis@googlemail.com
Georgoulias
Christodoulos
C
Filiopoulos
Vasileios
V
Stefanou
Ioanna
I
Smirloglou
Despoina
D
Michail
Spyridon
S
D000818:Animals; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017171:Strongyloides stercoralis; D013322:Strongyloidiasis; D015163:Superinfection / Q000469:parasitology*