Disseminated toxoplasmosis can occasionally present as a sepsis syndrome in immunocompromised patients.
Features:
(1) The patient is immunocompromised (AIDS, transplant, etc).
(2) The patient presents with a sepsis syndrome with fever, dyspnea and hypotension.
(3) Organisms often can be seen within white cells in the peripheral blood smear (which can be confirmed by immunohistochemistry).
(4) There is often a marked elevation in serum LDH.
(5) Patients may develop thrombocytopenia and/or DIC.
(6) Other evidence for infection with toxoplasmosis.
(7) Exclusion of other causes of the sepsis syndrome (negative blood cultures, etc).
This often is fatal with the diagnosis made at autopsy.
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Specialty: Infectious Diseases
