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[Hemiplegic forms of human African trypanosomiasis]
1Institut de Neurologie Tropicale, Faculté de Médecine de Limoges.
Bulletin De La Societe De Pathologie Exotique Et De Ses Filiales
|January 1, 1988
Summary
Hemiplegic human African trypanosomiasis is rare, with only 14 reported cases. Diagnosis can be challenging, mimicking other neurological conditions, but CT scans reveal demyelination and cerebral edema.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Infectious Diseases
- Neuroimaging
Context:
- Hemiplegic presentations of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) are exceptionally rare.
- Literature review identified only 14 reported cases between 1963 and 1987.
- Clinical presentation can mimic space-occupying lesions, complicating diagnosis.
Purpose:
- To highlight the unusual hemiplegic form of HAT.
- To discuss diagnostic challenges and differential diagnoses.
- To present CT findings associated with this rare manifestation.
Summary:
- Hemiplegia in HAT is uncommon, often misdiagnosed as a space-occupying lesion due to symptoms like hemiplegia, midline shift, focal EEG abnormalities, and intracranial hypertension.
- Differential diagnoses include other forms of meningoencephalitis (tuberculous, syphilitic, fungal).
- CT scan findings suggest a correlation between massive demyelination of the centrum semiovale and cerebral edema in these cases.
Impact:
- Raises awareness among clinicians about a rare but serious neurological presentation of HAT.
- Improves diagnostic accuracy by differentiating HAT from other neurological disorders.
- Contributes to understanding the neuropathology of HAT, specifically its demyelinating effects.