An unusual cause of acute respiratory distress in a patient with AIDS: primary infection with Toxoplasma gondii

Scand J Infect Dis. 2003;35(11-12):901-2. doi: 10.1080/00365540310017050.

Abstract

Hypoxemic pneumonia in AIDS patients is mainly caused by Pneumocystis carinii, Toxoplasma gondii and CMV, although the significance of CMV recovery in BALF is often unclear. Since lung involvement generally occurs during reactivation, T. gondii is not expected to be demonstrated in patients without evidence of past infection with this agent. We report a fatal case of pneumonia revealing a T. gondii primary infection diagnosed thanks to the PCR analysis of the BALF.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / diagnosis*
  • AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / drug therapy
  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Disease Progression
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Lung Diseases, Parasitic / diagnosis*
  • Lung Diseases, Parasitic / drug therapy
  • Male
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / diagnosis*
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / drug therapy
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / microbiology
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Toxoplasma / isolation & purification*
  • Toxoplasmosis / diagnosis*
  • Toxoplasmosis / drug therapy