Isospora belli diarrhoea as a presenting feature of AIDS

ABSTRACT

Isospora belli, an opportunistic coccidia, has recently been reported as a cause of severe diarrhea in AIDS patients. We report a 40-year-old female, who presented with prolonged watery diarrhea and weight loss. She had received blood transfusions in 1985 for a fractured femur. She was positive for human immunodeficiency virus antibodies. Her cd4 [helper] cells were markedly diminished. Isospora belli oocysts were repeatedly recovered from her stool specimens. She initially responded to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole therapy. However, eventually she expired. Patients with severe, chronic and intractible diarrhoea should be investigated for Isospora belli infection and underlying AIDS