title: AIDS Presenting as Granulomatous Amebic Encephalitis: PET and MR Imaging correlation.
abstract: Granulomatous amebic encephalitis (GAE) is a rare and oftentimes fatal disease in immune compromised patients caused by free living amebae Acanthamoeba and Balamuthia. We report a patient in whom GAE secondary to Acanthamoeba was the initial presentation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome in a 41-year-old male, and discuss the FDG positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging findings that preceded the pathological diagnosis. The PET results provided complementary information when coupled with the MR brain findings. Improved understanding of the clinical and imaging findings of this deadly disease is the best hope for early diagnosis and treatment of this uncommon but deadly disease.
authors: Department of Radiology, Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, OH.
authors: Joshua D
authors: JD
authors: Dowell
authors: Department of Radiology & Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA.
authors: Sugoto
authors: S
authors: Mukherjee
authors: Department of Radiology, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD.
authors: Prashant
authors: P
authors: Raghavan
authors: Department of Radiology & Medical Imaging, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA.
authors: Patrice K
authors: PK
authors: Rehm
mesh_terms: D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000328:Adult; D000562:Amebiasis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D000069544:Infectious Encephalitis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
keywords: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS); Encephalitis; FDG; HIV; MRI; PET; parasitic infections