title: Features to validate cerebral toxoplasmosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neurotoxoplasmosis (NT) sometimes manifests unusual characteristics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed 85 patients with NT and AIDS according to clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, cranial magnetic resonance, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) characteristics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 8.5%, focal neurological deficits were absent and 16.4% had single cerebral lesions. Increased sensitivity of PCR for Toxoplasma gondii DNA in the central nervous system was associated with pleocytosis and presence of >4 encephalic lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with NT may present without focal neurological deficit and NT may occur with presence of a single cerebral lesion. Greater numbers of lesions and greater cellularity in cerebrospinal fluid improve the sensitivity of PCR to T gondii.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Neurologia, Universidade de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil. carolina.dra@gmail.com
authors.forename: Carolina da Cunha
authors.initials: Cda C
authors.lastname: Correia
authors.forename: Heloísa Ramos Lacerda
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.forename: Vláudia Maria Assis
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Alessandra Mertens
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Brainer
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016781:Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid / Q000175:diagnosis*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan