RESUMEN
The primary amebic meningoencephalitis is an acute suppurative infection that involves both the brain and the meninges. It is caused by Naegleria fowleri and is a very rare and fulminating condition, so far nearly always fatal. We report the first case in the area of Southern part of Indian Ocean that occured in a 7-year old French boy living in Madagascar. It is assumed that the disease was contracted by swimming in warm fresh water in a lake of the Madagascar east coast. Clinical signs began 10-12 days after exposure, associating headache, vomiting and pyrexia (39-40 degrees C). Upon admission in a Madagascar hospital, the patient was started on antibiotics, that did not control the disease and soon presented with a loss of consciousness and a delirium. He was transferred to Reunion island (Centre Hospitalier Départemental Félix-Guyon), where the diagnosis of primary amebic meningoencephalitis was confirmed. Therefore, he was started on high-dose of intraspinal amphotericin B, IV amphotericin B lipid complex and tetracycline. He developed myocarditis, diabetes insipidus, deep coma and subsequently died a week later. The diagnosis of amebic meningoencephalitis was based on: -- the cerebrospinal fluid examination that confirmed the diagnosis of purulent meningitis: 420 leucocytes (76% polynuclears, 14% lymphocytes), 90 red blood cells, and showed 50 ameboid trophozoites per 100 leucocytes, approximately 20 microm in size. -- the flagellate transformation test in distilled water showed two anterior flagellas that confirmed the genus Naegleria.
