Document 0030 DOCN M9590030 TI Disseminated toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients--report of 16 cases. DT 9509 AU Albrecht H; Skorde J; Arasteh K; Heise W; Stellbrink HJ; Grosse G; L'Age M; Department of Internal Medicine, University Clinic Eppendorf,; Hamburg, Germany. SO Scand J Infect Dis. 1995;27(1):71-4. Unique Identifier : AIDSLINE MED/95304293 AB Between June 1986 and October 1992, disseminated toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in 16 AIDS patients. 13 cases were diagnosed at autopsy where multiple organ involvement was documented in all 13. Three patients were diagnosed intra vitam. All 3 survived with appropriate treatment. Clinical features indicative of disseminated toxoplasmosis were: fever of unknown origin between 39 degrees and 40 degrees C in 16 cases, clinical signs suggestive of sepsis or septic shock in 15, with progression to multiorgan failure in 10, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy in 6, confusion, disorientation or apathy in 13 and lack of a systemic pneumocystis carinii prophylaxis in all 16. Typical laboratory markers were: CD4 cell counts below 100 x 10(6)/l in 16 cases, elevation of serum lactic dehydrogenase in 16 and creatine phosphokinase (in 4/6), normal or only slightly elevated C-reactive protein (in 9/11), positive Toxoplasma gondii IgG antibodies in 15/16 and negative IgM antibodies in all 16. Lesions indicative of cerebral toxoplasmosis were visualized on cranial computerized tomography in only 3/10 evaluated patients. In patients with advanced HIV infection presenting with a systemic illness, including the clinical and laboratory features described above, systemic Toxoplasma gondii infection must be included in the differential diagnosis. In these patients, specific and if warranted, invasive diagnostic procedures followed by early vigorous therapeutic intervention should be considered. DE Animal Antibodies, Protozoan/BLOOD Autopsy AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/*DIAGNOSIS/EPIDEMIOLOGY Brain/PARASITOLOGY Case Report CD4 Lymphocyte Count Diagnosis, Differential Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation/PARASITOLOGY Fatal Outcome Human IgG/BLOOD Sepsis/ETIOLOGY Toxoplasmosis/COMPLICATIONS/*DIAGNOSIS/IMMUNOLOGY Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral/DIAGNOSIS/PARASITOLOGY JOURNAL ARTICLE SOURCE: National Library of Medicine. NOTICE: This material may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.Code).