Features to validate cerebral toxoplasmosis

• Published in: Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
• Main Authors: Carolina da Cunha Correia, Heloisa Ramos Lacerda Melo, Vlaudia Maria Assis Costa, Alessandra Mertens Brainer
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2013
• Subjects: AIDS; Cerebral toxoplasmosis; Diagnosis; Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine; RC955-962; Arctic
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-1202-2013; https://doaj.org/article/08fbc835d9134c5a9d64a415421a0ada

Introduction Neurotoxoplasmosis (NT) sometimes manifests unusual characteristics. Methods We analyzed 85 patients with NT and AIDS according to clinical, cerebrospinal fluid, cranial magnetic resonance, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) characteristics. Results In 8.5%, focal neurological deficits were absent and 16.4% had single cerebral lesions. Increased sensitivity of PCR for Toxoplasma gondii DNA in the central nervous system was associated with pleocytosis and presence of >4 encephalic lesions. Conclusions Patients with NT may present without focal neurological deficit and NT may occur with presence of a single cerebral lesion. Greater numbers of lesions and greater cellularity in cerebrospinal fluid improve the sensitivity of PCR to T gondii.