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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Quantification of Cerebral Vascular Architecture using Two-photon Microscopy in a Mouse Model of HIV-induced Neuroinflammation
10:04

Quantification of Cerebral Vascular Architecture using Two-photon Microscopy in a Mouse Model of HIV-induced Neuroinflammation

Published on: January 12, 2016

Tumoriform presentation of cerebral candidiasis in an HIV-infected patient

V Mendes1, S Castro, P Linhares

  • 1Department of Neuroradiology, Hospital de S. João, Alameda Hernâni Monteiro, 4000, Porto, Portugal. mendes.virginia@gmail.com

Journal of Clinical Neuroscience : Official Journal of the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia
|February 7, 2009
PubMed

Insights

This study details a rare case of a brain mass in an AIDS patient, caused by Candida infection, presenting as a tumor. This finding highlights unusual fungal infections in immunocompromised individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) can lead to opportunistic infections affecting the central nervous system.
  • Brain imaging in immunocompromised patients often requires differentiation between neoplastic and infectious etiologies.

Observation:

  • A patient diagnosed with AIDS presented with acute neurological deficits, including headache and left hemiparesis.
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) identified a significant, heterogeneous mass in the right cerebral hemisphere with surrounding vasogenic edema, initially mimicking a brain neoplasm.

Findings:

  • Histopathological analysis of the resected brain mass revealed the presence of Candida species, confirming a fungal etiology.
  • This represents the first documented instance in English medical literature of a tumor-like brain mass caused by Candida infection.

Implications:

  • This case underscores the importance of considering unusual fungal infections, such as Candida granuloma, in the differential diagnosis of brain masses in patients with advanced HIV/AIDS.
  • Early and accurate diagnosis is critical for appropriate antifungal treatment and improved patient outcomes in neuro-AIDS.
  • Further research may elucidate the specific mechanisms by which Candida can form such distinct, mass-like lesions in the brain.

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