Fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis due to free-living amoebae in two boys in two different hospitals in Lima, Perú.

Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis caused by free-living amoebae is a rare condition that is difficult to diagnose and hard to treat, generally being fatal. Anti-amoebic treatment is often delayed because clinical signs and symptoms may hide the probable causing agent misleading the appropriate diagnostic test. There are four genera of free-living amoeba associated with human infection, Naegleria, Acanthamoeba sp., Balamuthia and Sappinia. Two boys were admitted with diagnosis of acute encephalitis. The history of having been in contact with swimming pools and rivers, supports the suspicion of an infection due to free-living amoebae. In both cases a brain biopsy was done, the histology confirmed granulomatous amoebic encephalitis with the presence of amoebic trophozoites.

Cirugía de epilepsia en el Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara: primeros siete casos / Epilepsy surgery in Guillermo Almenara Hospital: First seven cases

La epilepsia tiene una incidencia de 1 % en la población, de los cuales un tercio no responde al tratamiento farmacológico, que conlleva a discapacidad y morbilidad secundaria. Los pacientes con epilepsia refractaria requieren un estudio multidisciplinario para el origen de la epilepsia y realizar la resección quirúrgica. En cinco pacientes del Hospital Almenara hicimos la evaluación clínica, neuropsicológica, estudio estructural con resonancia magnética, PET y SPECT y videoelectroencefalografía de cuero cabelludo e intracraneal, con lo que realizamos la cirugía resectiva correspondiente. En 71 % de los pacientes se logró la supresión completa de las crisis epilépticas y en 29 % restantes, la disminución de la frecuencia en 75 %. La morbilidad adicional en los pacientes operados fue leve y manejable. El manejo multidisciplinario y tratamiento quirúrgico de la epilepsia refractaria en el hospital Almenara es altamente eficaz y se requiere la implementación de una unidad de Cirugía de Epilepsia.

Epilepsy has 1 % prevalence, until one third are refractory to pharmacological treatment, so it produces disability, morbidity and mortality. These patients requires multidisciplinary diagnostic approach to localize the origin and ideally resect it. In Almenara Hospital, seven patients has been studied clinically, neuropsychologically, brain imaging: structure magnetic resonance and functional with positron emission tomography and single photon emission computed tomography and video electroencephalography non invasive initially and electrocorticography. After the study we decided and performed respective surgery. In 71 % of patients we have got complete suppression of seizures and in the remain 29 %, more than 75 % in seizure frequency. The side effects were mild and possible to treat. The multidisciplinary approach and surgical treatment of refractory epilepsy in the Almenara Hospital is highly efficient and it is needed to install an Specialized Unit.