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Granulomatous amebic encephalitis in a multivisceral transplant recipient
Author(s) -
Mendez O.,
Kanal E.,
AbuElmagd K. M.,
McFadden K.,
Thomas S.,
Bond G.,
Živković S. A.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
european journal of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.881
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1468-1331
pISSN - 1351-5101
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2006.01168.x
Subject(s) - medicine , encephalitis , brain biopsy , autopsy , magnetic resonance imaging , lesion , cerebrospinal fluid , stereotactic biopsy , viral encephalitis , central nervous system , edema , biopsy , pathology , cerebral edema , radiology , surgery , virus , virology
A 40‐year‐old man with multivisceral allograft developed acutely right‐sided numbness 9 months after transplantation. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a small left parietal lesion, and cerebrospinal fluid analysis was unremarkable. Stereotactic brain biopsy was non‐diagnostic. The patient continued to deteriorate, developed cerebral edema and died at 13 days after the onset of symptoms. Unexpectedly, autopsy demonstrated acanthamebic encephalitis. This case highlights diagnostic difficulties encountered with amebic encephalitis and expands the spectrum of opportunistic central nervous system (CNS) infections in solid and visceral organ transplant recipients.