RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Ocular involvement in AIDS patients is a common event mainly caused by inflammation or infection. Despite the high prevalence rate of cryptococcosis in these individuals, ocular features have been occasionally described. CASE REPORT: A 20-year-old Brazilian female with HIV infection recently diagnosed was admitted with a respiratory profile presumptively diagnosed as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia; an ophthalmologic exam suggested choroiditis by this agent as well. She was complaining of headaches and blurred vision which led to cryptococcal meningitis diagnosis by a CSF positive India ink stain and Cryptococcus neoformans positive culture. Despite therapy based on amphotericin B plus fluconazole, her clinical state progressively worsened and the patient died one week later. At necropsy, disseminated cryptococcal infection was evidenced in several organs including eyes, which presented bilateral chorioretinitis. CONCLUSIONS: Cryptococcal ocular involvement in AIDS patients has been occasionally proved among the cases already reported. Thus, the post mortem exam is still pivotal to improve the quality of the clinical diagnosis, especially in limited-resource settings.
Assuntos
Infecções Oportunistas Relacionadas com a AIDS/complicações , Corioidite/microbiologia , Criptococose/complicações , Cryptococcus neoformans , Evolução Fatal , Feminino , Humanos , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Background: Ocular involvement in AIDS patients is a common event mainly caused by inflammation or infection. Despite the high prevalence rate of cryptococcosis in these individuals, ocular features have been occasionally described. Case report: A 20-year-old Brazilian female with HIV infection recently diagnosed was admitted with a respiratory profile presumptively diagnosed as Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia; an ophthalmologic exam suggested choroiditis by this agent as well. She was complaining of headaches and blurred vision which led to cryptococcal meningitis diagnosis by a CSF positive India ink stain and Cryptococcus neoformans positive culture. Despite therapy based on amphotericin B plus fluconazole, her clinical state progressively worsened and the patient died one week later. At necropsy, disseminated cryptococcal infection was evidenced in several organs including eyes, which presented bilateral chorioretinitis. Conclusions: Cryptococcal ocular involvement in AIDS patients has been occasionally proved among the cases already reported. Thus, the post mortem exam is still pivotal to improve the quality of the clinical diagnosis, especially in limited-resource settingsl
Antecedentes: La afectación ocular en pacientes con sida es una circunstancia común provocada principalmente por procesos inflamatorios o infecciosos. A pesar de la alta prevalencia de criptococosis en estos individuos, los hallazgos oculares solo se describen ocasionalmente. Caso clínico: Una mujer brasileña de 20 años, diagnosticada poco tiempo antes de infección por el VIH, fue hospitalizada por dificultad respiratoria con el presunto diagnóstico de neumonía por Pneumocystis jirovecii; el examen oftalmológico sugirió también la existencia de coroiditis por el mismo agente etiológico. Las quejas de la paciente por cefalea y visión borrosa orientaron el diagnóstico hacia la criptococosis meníngea, confirmada por el examen directo y el crecimiento de Cryptococcus neoformans en el cultivo del líquido cefalorraquídeo. A pesar de haber comenzado un tratamiento con anfotericina B y fluconazol, el estado clínico empeoró progresivamente y la paciente falleció una semana después. La necropsia mostró criptococosis diseminada en varios órganos, incluidos los ojos, que presentaban coriorretinitis bilateral. Conclusiones: La criptococosis ocular en pacientes con VIH se ha descrito ocasionalmente en los casos publicados. Por este motivo, la necropsia todavía es fundamental para mejorar la calidad del diagnóstico clínico de esa enfermedad, especialmente en regiones con recursos limitados
