Rapidly fatal Acanthamoeba encephalitis and treatment of cryoglobulinemia

Emerg Infect Dis. 2007 Mar;13(3):469-71. doi: 10.3201/eid1303.061001.

Abstract

We describe a 66-year-old woman with therapy-refractory cryoglobulinemia treated with rituximab, plasmapheresis, and steroids; a case of fatal meningoencephalitis caused by Acanthamoeba spp. then developed. Such infections are rare and show an unusually rapid course (possibly related to rituximab).

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acanthamoeba / genetics
  • Acanthamoeba / isolation & purification*
  • Aged
  • Amebiasis / etiology*
  • Animals
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / adverse effects
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • Brain / parasitology
  • Cryoglobulinemia / complications*
  • Cryoglobulinemia / therapy*
  • DNA, Protozoan / analysis
  • DNA, Ribosomal / analysis
  • DNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Female
  • Granuloma / diagnosis
  • Granuloma / etiology*
  • Granuloma / parasitology
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Immunologic Factors / adverse effects
  • Immunologic Factors / therapeutic use*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Meningoencephalitis / etiology*
  • Meningoencephalitis / parasitology
  • Plasmapheresis
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Rituximab
  • Staining and Labeling
  • Steroids / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived
  • DNA, Protozoan
  • DNA, Ribosomal
  • Immunologic Factors
  • Steroids
  • Rituximab