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Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Bioluminescence Imaging to Detect Late Stage Infection of African Trypanosomiasis
Published on: May 18, 2016
Human African Trypanosomiasis Encephalitis in the United States: Serial Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mary Carter Denny1, Leon L Lai2, Robert Laureno3
1Department of Neurology, Medstar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Neurology, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
Abstract:
It is important to recognize the signs and symptoms of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) in order to facilitate early diagnosis and treatment. A 36-year-old man developed encephalitis caused by HAT. This encephalitis can appear many years after well-tolerated systemic infection. The neurologic manifestations developed 7 years after he had emigrated from Cameroon to the United States. We demonstrate the magnetic resonance imaging before, during, and after his treatment with intravenous eflornithine. Clinical signs and symptoms of HAT can be nonspecific and precede abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging. Human African trypanosomiasis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients who have lived in sub-Saharan Africa and have a clinical presentation of subacute encephalitis.
