Open AccessOpportunistic penicilliosis infection causing intestinal obstruction in people living with HIV complicating antiretroviral therapy
Author(s) -
Rajeevan Philip Sridhar,
Victor Coelho,
Beulah Roopavathana,
Suchita Chase
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
bmj case reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.231
H-Index - 26
ISSN - 1757-790X
DOI - 10.1136/bcr-2019-230121
Subject(s) - medicine , antiretroviral therapy , human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) , intensive care medicine , aids related opportunistic infections , opportunistic infection , immunology , virology , viral load , sida , viral disease
We report a retroviral positive patient who presented to us with recurrent skin lesions along with intermittent, colicky periumbilical abdominal pain associated with non-projectile, postprandial vomiting. Contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) of abdomen and pelvis was suggestive of proximal jejunal obstruction. Double balloon enteroscopy done which showed extensive deep ulceration with surrounding nodular surface and friable mucosa at 60 cm from pylorus with luminal narrowing. The biopsy from this region as well as the skin lesion on the forehead grew Talaromyces marneffei She was initially treated with liposomal amphotericin B for 2 weeks following which she received itraconazole for 3 weeks for disseminated talaromycosis infection. She had already been started on antiretroviral therapy (ART) 1 year back however her cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) counts did not show any improvement. Proximal bowel obstruction leading to poor nutritional status compounded with ineffective ART therapy due to suboptimal absorption, dictated the staged management of her condition. Feeding jejunostomy was done with a plan to offer her resection and anastomosis of affected jejunal segment, should she require one, after optimising her nutritional and immunological status.