ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Infections of the central nervous system by free-living amoeba are a rare phenomenon around the world. They present as a necrotising haemorrhagic acute meningoencephalitis, with a fatality rate close to 100% or as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis with a chronic progression. CASE REPORT: We describe a fatal case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis produced by Naegleria fowleri in an 8-year-old child, with a history of immersion in a freshwater reservoir 52 hours before death. CONCLUSION: Laboratory studies carried out before death did not enable a diagnosis to be reached while the patient was alive. Diagnosis was made in the course of the post-mortem examination, where the presence of amoeba trophozoites was identified.
Subject(s)
Amebiasis/complications , Meningoencephalitis/etiology , Meningoencephalitis/parasitology , Amebiasis/diagnosis , Amebiasis/pathology , Animals , Child , Fatal Outcome , Humans , Male , Meningoencephalitis/diagnosis , Meningoencephalitis/pathology , Naegleria fowleri/metabolismABSTRACT
Introducción. Las infecciones del sistema nervioso central producida por amebas de vida libre constituyen un fenómeno raro mundialmente. Ésta se presenta como una meningoencefalitis aguda hemorrágica necrotizante, con una letalidad cercana al 100 por ciento, o como una encefalitis granulomatosa amebiana de evolución crónica. Caso clínico. Se comunica un caso letal de meningoencefalitis amebiana primaria producida por Naegleria fowleri en un niño de 8 años, con el antecedente de inmersión en un embalse de agua dulce 52 horas antes de la muerte. Conclusión. Los estudios de laboratorio realizados antes del fallecimiento no permitieron el diagnóstico en vida del paciente. El diagnóstico se realizó en el estudio necrópsico, donde se identificó la presencia de trofozoítos de amebas (AU)
Introduction. Infections of the central nervous system by free-living amoeba are a rare phenomenon around the world. They present as a necrotising haemorrhagic acute meningoencephalitis, with a fatality rate close to 100% or as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis with a chronic progression. Case report. We describe a fatal case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis produced by Naegleria fowleri in an 8-year-old child, with a history of immersion in a freshwater reservoir 52 hours before death. Conclusion. Laboratory studies carried out before death did not enable a diagnosis to be reached while the patient was alive. Diagnosis was made in the course of the post-mortem examination, where the presence of amoeba trophozoites was identified (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Child , Animals , Male , Fatal Outcome , Naegleria fowleri , Meningoencephalitis , AmebiasisSubject(s)
Humans , Male , Female , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Cuba , Infant, Newborn, Diseases/microbiology , Infant, Newborn, Diseases/mortality , Infant, Newborn, Diseases/pathology , Lung/microbiology , Pneumocystis carinii/isolation & purification , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/microbiology , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/mortality , Pneumonia, Pneumocystis/pathology , Infant, Newborn, Diseases , Pneumonia, PneumocystisABSTRACT
A study is carried out in 8 infants with a diagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia which was established through the study of histologic lung sections, and a microscopic study of protozoas. The following are some of the factors predisposing to this disease: prematurity, significant denutrition, primary immunodeficiencies, extended use of antibiotics, malignancies, and immunosuppressive treatments.
