Acanthamoeba may infect the lungs prior to spreading hematogenously to the brain. Therapy of an extra-cerebral infection can stop it before it spreads.
Risk factors:
(1) swimming in contaminated water
(2) impaired host defenses (HIV, transplant, steroid therapy, immunosuppression, SLE, diabetes mellitus, alcoholism, chronic liver disease, malignancy, pregnancy)
Clinical features:
(1) fever
(2) nodular pulmonary infiltrates or diffuse interstitial inifilrates
(3) variable evidence of concurrent sinusitis
The diagnosis can be made by demonstrating trophozoites in respiratory fluids, lung biopsy or the pharynx.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
Specialty: Infectious Diseases, Pulmonology
ICD-10: ,
