Cytomegalovirus and Cryptosporidium infections in AIDS: a necropsy study.

ABSTRACT

A case of coinfection of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Cryptosporidium in an AIDS patient is reported. Chronic diarrhea was the presenting symptom. Etiologic agents were diagnosed only at postmortem evaluation. CMV intranuclear inclusions were seen in the terminal ileum, colon and vermiform appendix. Cryptosporidium oocysts were also present in the intestinal brush border of the colon. Improvement of diagnostic procedures such as colonic biopsy and the use of appropriate staining procedure for AIDS patients with diarrhea can help identify the cause of illness.