Presumptive cerebral Nocardia asteroides infection in AIDS: treatment with ceftriaxone and minocycline

Article Abstract:

Nocardiosis is an infection with a bacterial species of Nocardia, and may be a complication of immune disorders. The most common form of nocardiosis related to coexisting disease involves infection of the central nervous system and the formation of brain abscesses (pockets of bacterially infected and damaged tissue). Brain abscesses due to Nocardia infections are normally treated by drainage and antibiotics. A case is described of a 36-year-old homosexual man with AIDS who developed a fever and productive cough. Nocardia infection of the lung was diagnosed and treated with sulfadiazine. The patient developed abscesses in the chest wall and brain six months later, and treatment with sulfadiazine was continued with the addition of minocycline and imipenem. Two new lesions were detected in the right parietal lobe of the brain, and the patient was started on treatment with ceftriaxone with an increased dose of minocycline. The brain lesions resolved without surgical drainage, and treatment with ceftriaxone and minocycline was continued. Although sulfonamides are the drug of choice for treating nocardiosis, this antibiotic was not tolerated by this patient. Minocycline can serve as an alternative to sulfadiazines. The antibiotic ceftriaxone can prevent the growth of Nocardia at low doses, and is also capable of penetrating into the cerebrospinal fluid, which surrounds the brain and spinal cord. This is the first reported case of nocardial brain abscess in an AIDS patient that was successfully treated with drug therapy alone. The effectiveness of a combined regimen of ceftriaxone and minocycline in treating cerebral nocardiosis requires further investigation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Usage, Evaluation, Infection, Brain, Drug therapy, Combination, Combination drug therapy, Minocycline, Ceftriaxone, Nocardia asteroides, Brain abscess

---

Entamoeba histolytica infection and AIDS

Article Abstract:

The ameba Entamoeba histolytica is a parasite that can cause amebic dysentery and tropical liver abscess. Infection with E. histolytica occurs in 30 percent of homosexual men, but seldom involves the entire body. T cells are important in the body's defense against infection with parasitic ameba, and patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) may have an increased risk of ameba infection. Other microorganisms that infect the intestinal tract, such as the protozoa Cryptosporidium and Isospora belli, cause extensive disease in AIDS patients. The risk of severe amebic disease was assessed in 19 AIDS patients infected with E. histolytica. The prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms was similar in AIDS patients with or without E. histolytica infection. Nine patients with E. histolytica infection and diarrhea were infected with other microorganisms. Cryptosporidium was detected in three patients; Giardia lamblia in three; Campylobacter in one; Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare in one; and cytomegalovirus in one. Treatment of five patients with the drug metronidazole did not improve symptoms but decreased growth of the parasites. None of the 14 patients had antibodies against E. histolytica. Thus, the results show that infection with E. histolytica does not cause symptoms in AIDS patients. The long-term effects of E. histolytica infection in patients with a high risk of AIDS requires further investigation. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Physiological aspects, Prognosis, Parasitic diseases, Amebiasis, Entamoeba histolytica

---

Similar abstracts:

• Abstracts: Owned vertical integration and health care: promise and performance. The identification and measurement of quality dimensions in health care: focus group interview results
• Abstracts: Elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressures in patients with cryptococcal meningitis and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome
• Abstracts: Association between antiphospholipid antibodies and cardiac abnormalities in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

This website is not affiliated with document authors or copyright owners. This page is provided for informational purposes only. Unintentional errors are possible.