A 64-year-old woman with rapid neurologic decline diagnosed with Toxoplasma encephalitis after presumed metastatic cancer

In an era of fragmented medical care, concurrent clinical features that ultimately lead to a unified diagnosis may not be prioritized appropriately. We present a case of a 64-year-old woman referred to hematology clinic for anemia, with recent memory loss and gait disturbance. Two months later, she developed pneumonia; imaging workup showed a left renal mass. Neurologic function continued to decline precluding definitive nephrectomy. She then presented with new-onset seizure and initial neuro-imaging was reported as unremarkable. One month later, outpatient neurologic workup demonstrated new left-sided weakness which prompted hospitalization and repeat neuro-imaging, which showed a 1.7-cm right frontal lobe mass lesion with surrounding vasogenic edema. The patient ultimately underwent craniotomy with resection of the mass lesion; pathology did not show metastatic renal cell cancer, the provisional clinical diagnosis. Rather, immunostaining revealed a parasite and ultimately led to a diagnosis of Toxoplasma encephalitis, an infection whose clinical presentation had been interpreted by healthcare providers for months to be a result of metastatic cancer.

Development of a risk scoring system for prognostication in HIV-related toxoplasma encephalitis

Background This study aims to evaluate specific risk factors influencing prognosis of HIV-infected patients with toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) in order to develop a prognostic risk scoring system for them. Methods This is a six-center retrospective study of hospitalized HIV/TE patients. Data including six-week mortality after diagnosis, baseline characteristics, clinical features, laboratory tests and radiological characteristics of eligible patients were assimilated for risk model establishing. Results In this study, the six-week mortality among 94 retrospective cases was 11.7% (11/94). Seven specific risk factors, viz. time from symptom onset to presentation, fever, dizziness, CD4+ T-cell counts, memory deficits, patchy brain lesions, and disorders of consciousness were calculated to be statistically associated with mortality. A criterion value of ‘9’ was selected as the optimal cut-off value of the established model. The AUC of the ROC curve of this scoring model was 0.976 (p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the risk scoring model was 100.0 and 86.9%, respectively, which were 81.8 and 94.1% of this scoring model in the verification cohort, respectively. Conclusions The developed scoring system was established with simple risk factors, which also allows expeditious implementation of accurate prognostication, and appropriate therapeutic interventions in HIV-infected patients with TE.

Development of a risk scoring system for prognostication in HIV-related toxoplasma encephalitis

Background: This study aims to evaluate specific risk factors influencing prognosis of HIV-infected patients with toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) in order to develop a prognostic risk scoring system for them. Methods: This is a six-center retrospective study of hospitalized HIV/TE patients. Data including six-week mortality after diagnosis, baseline characteristics, clinical features, laboratory tests and radiological characteristics of eligible patients were assimilated for risk model establishing.Results: In this study, the six-week mortality among 94 retrospective cases was 11.7% (11/94). Seven specific risk factors, viz. time from symptom onset to presentation, fever, dizziness, CD4+ T-cell counts, memory deficits, patchy brain lesions, and disorders of consciousness were calculated to be statistically associated with mortality. A criterion value of ‘9’ was selected as the optimal cut-off value of the established model. The AUC of the ROC curve of this scoring model was 0.976 (p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the risk scoring model was 100.0% and 86.9%, respectively, which were 81.8% and 94.1% of this scoring model in the verification cohort, respectively. Conclusions: The developed scoring system was established with simple risk factors, which also allows expeditious implementation of accurate prognostication, and appropriate therapeutic interventions in HIV-infected patients with TE.

Development of a risk scoring system for prognostication in HIV-related toxoplasma encephalitis

Objective: This study aims to evaluate specific risk factors influencing prognosis of HIV-infected patients with toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) in order to develop a prognostic risk scoring system for them.Methods: This is a six-center retrospective study of hospitalized HIV/TE patients. Data including six-week mortality after diagnosis, baseline characteristics, clinical features, laboratory tests and radiological characteristics of eligible patients were assimilated for risk model establishing.Results: In this study, the six-week mortality among 94 retrospective cases was 11.7% (11/94). Seven specific risk factors, viz. time from symptom onset to presentation, fever, dizziness, CD4+ T-cell counts, memory deficits, patchy brain lesions, and disorders of consciousness were calculated to be statistically associated with mortality. A criterion value of ‘9’ was selected as the optimal cut-off value of the established model. The AUC of the ROC curve of this scoring model was 0.976 (p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the risk scoring model was 100.0% and 86.9%, respectively, which were 81.8% and 94.1% of this scoring model in the verification cohort, respectively. Conclusions: The developed scoring system was established with simple risk factors, which also allows expeditious implementation of accurate prognostication, and appropriate therapeutic interventions in HIV-infected patients with TE.

Risk factors of Toxoplasma encephalitis among people living with HIV/AIDS at Wangaya hospital in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia: a case control study

Background: Toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) is the most frequent AIDS-related opportunistic infection. T. gondii infects the human population in both developed and developing countries. Toxoplasmosis among PLWHA manifests primarily as a life-threatening condition, TE, brain abscesses and death. Objective was to identify the risk factors of Toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) among people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Methods: A case control study was conducted during May to November 2018. The study participants consisted of 90 PLWHA; 30 PLWHA with history of TE (cases) and 60 PLWHA without history of TE (controls). Data such as: socio-demographic, laboratory results, head CT scan findings were collected from the medical record and was analyzed using SPSS version 18.Results: A total of 90 participants PLWHA were enrolled, 30 participants as cases and 60 participants as a control. 49 (54.4%) participants were males and 41 (45.6%) participants were females. Among the risk factors evaluated; the lower lymphocyte level (p=0.016), the lower cluster differentiation (CD) 4 level (p=0.003), no taking highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) (p=0.000) were observed to be an independent associated risk factor of TE.Conclusions: Our findings suggest lower lymphocyte levels, lower CD4 count and no taking HAART may constitute a significant associated risk factor for TE in PLWHA.

Development of a risk scoring system for prognostication in HIV-related toxoplasma encephalitis

Objective: This study aims to evaluate specific risk factors influencing prognosis of HIV-infected patients with toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) in order to develop a prognostic risk scoring system for them. Methods: This is a six-center retrospective study of hospitalized HIV/TE patients. Data including six-week mortality after diagnosis, baseline characteristics, clinical features, laboratory tests and radiological characteristics of eligible patients were assimilated for risk model establishing.Results: In this study, the six-week mortality among 94 retrospective cases was 11.7% (11/94). Seven specific risk factors, viz. time from symptom onset to presentation, fever, dizziness, CD4+ T-cell counts, memory deficits, patchy brain lesions, and disorders of consciousness were calculated to be statistically associated with mortality. A criterion value of ‘9’ was selected as the optimal cut-off value of the established model. The AUC of the ROC curve of this scoring model was 0.976 (p<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the risk scoring model was 100.0% and 86.9%, respectively, which were 81.8% and 94.1% of this scoring model in the verification cohort, respectively. Conclusions: The developed scoring system was established with simple risk factors, which also allows expeditious implementation of accurate prognostication, and appropriate therapeutic interventions in HIV-infected patients with TE.

Nested PCR methods for detection Toxoplasma gondii B1 gene in Cerebrospinal Fluid of HIV patients

Background: Toxoplasmosis is a disease caused by infection of Toxoplasma gondii, Which may cause a life-threatening condition in immunocompromised patients, for example, Toxoplasma encephalitis (TE). It is challenging to diagnose Toxoplasma as a cause of central nervous system (CNS) infection in HIV patient, so we need an alternative method, which is a PCR detection of Toxoplasma gondii B1 gene.Objective: This research aimed to find association between PCR methods for Toxoplasma gondii B1 gene and anti-Toxoplasma IgG from cerebral spinal fluid patient HIV AIDS.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of HIV patients with neurological symptoms to determine Toxoplasma gondii infection using nested PCR methods for the B1 gene and detection of anti-Toxoplasma IgG.Results: 88 CSF samples from HIV patients tested using nested PCR showed 23 samples (26,1%) were positive. Serologic test for IgG Toxoplasma showed 34 samples were positive (28,6%). There was a significant correlation (p=0.000(<0.05) between PCR result and a serologic test for IgG Toxoplasma.Conclusion: Nested PCR methods to detect B1 gene increased the accuracy of diagnosis for toxoplasma encephalitis.