The systemic pathology of cerebral malaria in African children.

Pediatric cerebral malaria carries a high mortality rate in sub-Saharan Africa. We present our systematic analysis of the descriptive and quantitative histopathology of all organs sampled from a series of 103 autopsies performed between 1996 and 2010 in Blantyre, Malawi on pediatric cerebral malaria patients and control patients (without coma, or without malaria infection) who were clinically well characterized prior to death. We found brain swelling in all cerebral malaria patients and the majority of controls. The histopathology in patients with sequestration of parasites in the brain demonstrated two patterns: (a) the "classic" appearance (i.e., ring hemorrhages, dense sequestration, and extra-erythrocytic pigment) which was associated with evidence of systemic activation of coagulation and (b) the "sequestration only" appearance associated with shorter duration of illness and higher total burden of parasites in all organs including the spleen. Sequestration of parasites was most intense in the gastrointestinal tract in all parasitemic patients (those with cerebral malarial and those without).

Hydatid disease involving some rare locations in the body: a pictorial essay.

Hydatid disease (HD) is an endemic illness in many countries, and it poses an important public health problem that's influenced by peoples' socioeconomic status and migration that spreads this disease. Although rare, it may occur in any organ or tissue. The most common site is the liver (59-75%), followed in frequency by lung (27%), kidney (3%), bone (1-4%) and brain (1-2%). Other sites such as the heart, spleen, pancreas and muscles are very rarely affected. Unusual sites for this disease can cause diagnostic problems. This pictorial essay illustrates various radiological findings of HD in the liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, peritoneal cavity, omentum, adrenal, ovary, lung, mediastinum and retroperitoneum. Familiarity with the imaging findings of HD may be helpful in making an accurate diagnosis and preventing potential complications.

Hydatid Disease Involving Some Rare Locations in the Body: a Pictorial Essay

Hydatid disease (HD) is an endemic illness in many countries, and it poses an important public health problem that's influenced by peoples' socioeconomic status and migration that spreads this disease. Although rare, it may occur in any organ or tissue. The most common site is the liver (59-75%), followed in frequency by lung (27%), kidney (3%), bone (1-4%) and brain (1-2%). Other sites such as the heart, spleen, pancreas and muscles are very rarely affected. Unusual sites for this disease can cause diagnostic problems. This pictorial essay illustrates various radiological findings of HD in the liver, spleen, kidney, pancreas, peritoneal cavity, omentum, adrenal, ovary, lung, mediastinum and retroperitoneum. Familiarity with the imaging findings of HD may be helpful in making an accurate diagnosis and preventing potential complications.

Trypanosoma cruzi: paninfectivity of CL strain during murine acute infection.

A systematic study of the distribution of intracellular parasites in the organs and tissues of mice acutely infected (15 days) with the CL strain of Trypanosoma cruzi was performed. Almost all tissues and organs were parasitized with different intensities, including several epithelial cell types. In addition to striated, cardiac, and smooth muscles a very high parasitism of fat cells, pancreas, and genital adnexa was observed. A smaller number of parasites was found in all other structures studied except in highly vascularized structures such as in the penile corpora cavernosa, pulmonary and renal parenchyma, islets of Langerhans, hepatic sinusoids, and in atrial endothelium. This paper also shows, for the first time in the literature, the parasitism of milky spots, cornea epithelium, cornea stroma, retroorbital fibroblasts, seminal vesicles, and coagulative, Cowper's, urethral, preputial, sebaceous anal, and clitoris glands. The results indicated that CL strain is highly invasive, being able to infect cells derived from the three embryonic layers (ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm), suggesting that the paninfectivity may influence the outcome of immunological and pathological events.

Trypanosoma cruzi: histopathology of endocrine system in immunocompromised mice.

Naturally immunocompromised athymic mice, neonatal mice and adult outbred OFI mice treated with the immunosuppressive agents cyclophosphamide (CY), dexamethasone (DM) and indomethacin (IM) were infected with trypomastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi Y and CL strains. 10(4) parasites were used, except in the case of IM treatment, where mice received 10(3) trypomastigotes in one group and 10(5) in another. The course of parasitaemia, tissue distribution of amastigotes and time of mortality were compared with an infected thymus intact control group. Neonate and indomethacin treated mice presented the same pattern of parasitaemia. Death occurred as early as 9-10 days after infection. A single dose of CY 200 mg/kg given 5 days after infection enhanced the parasitaemia and increased the number of parasites in the tissues. All groups were similar in terms of colonization of the endocrine system by parasites and the adrenals showed the highest density of amastigotes nests. The thyroid gland (analysed only in neonates) showed intense amastigote accumulation. Colonization of the ovary was observed with amastigotes in both the theca interna and in the stroma. The testes (also examined only in the neonate) showed that the interstitial cells, the tunica albuginea of the seminiferous tubules and the loose connective tissue were infected. Athymic nude mice showed the most intense parasite colonization of the islets of Langerhans.