Cerebral trypanosomiasis and AIDS
Arq. neuropsiquiatr
;
60(3B): 730-733, Sept. 2002. ilus, tab
Article
in English
| LILACS
| ID: lil-325485
ABSTRACT
A 36 year-old black female, complaining of headache of one month's duration presented with nausea, vomiting, somnolence, short memory problems, loss of weight, and no fever history. Smoker, intravenous drugs abuser, promiscuous lifestyle. Physical examination left homonimous hemianopsia, left hemiparesis, no papilledema, diffuse hyperreflexia, slowness of movements. Brain CT scan tumor-like lesion in the splenium of the corpus calosum, measuring 3.5 x 1.4 cm, with heterogeneous enhancing pattern, sugesting a primary CNS tumor. Due to the possibility of CNS infection, a lumbar puncture disclosed an opening pressure of 380 mmH(2)0; 11 white cells (lymphocytes); glucose 18 mg/dl (serum glucose 73 mg/dl); proteins 139 mg/dl; presence of Trypanosoma parasites. Serum Elisa-HIV tests turned out to be positive. Treatment with benznidazole dramatically improved clinical and radiographic picture, but the patient died 6 weeks later because of respiratory failure. T. cruzi infection of the CNS is a rare disease, but we have an increasing number of cases in HIV immunecompromised patients. Diagnosis by direct observation of CSF is uncommon, and most of the cases are diagnosed by pathological examination. It is a highly lethal disease, even when properly diagnosed and treated. This article intends to include cerebral trypanosomiasis in the differential diagnosis of intracranial space-occupying lesions, especially in immunecompromised patients from endemic regions
Full text:
Available
Index:
LILACS (Americas)
Main subject:
Trypanosoma cruzi
/
Trypanosomiasis
/
Brain Diseases
/
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Arq. neuropsiquiatr
Journal subject:
Neurology
/
Psychiatry
Year:
2002
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Brazil
Institution/Affiliation country:
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre/BR
/
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul/BR
/
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do sul/BR
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