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Sequencing of Bacterial Microflora in Peripheral Blood: our Experience with HIV-infected Patients
13:50

Sequencing of Bacterial Microflora in Peripheral Blood: our Experience with HIV-infected Patients

Published on: June 11, 2011

[Disseminated microspiridiosis (Encephalitozoon intestinalis) in a patient with HIV infection]

U Lippert1, J Schottelius, C Manegold

  • 1Klinische Abteilung (Chefarzt Prof. Dr. G. Burchard).

Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift (1946)
|August 23, 2003
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Microsporidia, a type of opportunistic infection, can cause serious illness in patients with advanced HIV. Early diagnosis and treatment with albendazole are effective in managing microsporidial infections.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Opportunistic infections are common in patients with advanced HIV.
  • AIDS-related cholangitis presents diagnostic challenges.
  • Microsporidia are emerging pathogens in immunocompromised individuals.

Observation:

  • A 39-year-old patient with advanced HIV presented with chronic diarrhea, abdominal pain, and pansinusitis.
  • Initial investigations including ultrasound and cholangiography revealed cholangitis, but routine stool and coloscopy were unremarkable.
  • Microsporidia (Encephalitozoon) were definitively diagnosed via electron microscopy and PCR in bile duct, nasal, and stool samples.

Findings:

  • Albendazole treatment led to successful resolution of cholangitis and normalization of liver tests.
  • Post-treatment samples were negative for microsporidia by multiple diagnostic methods.
  • This case highlights the systemic potential of microsporidial infections.

Implications:

  • Microsporidia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of immunocompromised patients with unexplained symptoms, particularly cholangitis.
  • Accurate diagnosis requires specialized techniques like electron microscopy and PCR.
  • Prompt treatment with albendazole can effectively manage microsporidial infections in AIDS patients.

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