47 year-old man with HIV infection and hemiplegia

Insights

Central nervous system (CNS) aspergillosis is frequently misdiagnosed in advanced HIV infection, even without typical risk factors. Autopsy revealed invasive aspergillosis as the cause of neurological decline in an AIDS patient.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Advanced HIV infection presents diagnostic challenges for opportunistic infections.
  • Central nervous system (CNS) aspergillosis is a rare but severe fungal infection.
  • Typical risk factors like neutropenia or steroid use may be absent.

Observation:

  • A patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) experienced progressive neurological deterioration.
  • Serial brain MRIs and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analyses were inconclusive.
  • Multiple treatments did not alleviate the patient's worsening condition.

Findings:

  • Postmortem brain examination revealed numerous abscesses.
  • Histopathology showed septated hyphae characteristic of angioinvasive aspergillosis.
  • This confirmed CNS aspergillosis as the cause of the neurological decline.

Implications:

  • Highlights the importance of considering CNS aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients, even without classic risk factors.
  • Suggests that diagnostic delays can occur in cases of atypical presentation.
  • Emphasizes the utility of postmortem examination in identifying challenging diagnoses.

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