Culture Isolation of Acanthamoeba Species and Leptomyxid Amebas from Patients with Amebic Meningoencephalitis, Including Two Patients with AIDS

Acanthamoeba species and leptomyxid organisms are free-living amebas that cause meningoencephalitis, primarily in immunocompromised patients. We report the isolation and culture of Acanthamoeba species and leptomyxid amebas from four patients with fatal amebic meningoencephalitis. Acanthamoeba speci...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Clinical infectious diseases 1992-12, Vol.15 (6), p.1024-1030
Main Authors: Gordon, Steven M., Steinberg, James P., DuPuis, Mark H., Kozarsky, Phyllis E., Nickerson, John F., Visvesvara, Govinda S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acanthamoeba
Acanthamoeba - isolation & purification
Adult
AIDS
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections - parasitology
AIDS/HIV
Amebiasis - etiology
Amebiasis - parasitology
Amebiasis - pathology
Amoebida - isolation & purification
Animals
Brain
Cysts
Female
Fungi
Humans
Infections
Lesions
Male
Meningoencephalitis
Meningoencephalitis - parasitology
Meningoencephalitis - pathology
Middle Aged
Opportunistic Infections - parasitology
Review Article
Specimens
Tissue culture techniques
Trophozoites
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Summary:Acanthamoeba species and leptomyxid organisms are free-living amebas that cause meningoencephalitis, primarily in immunocompromised patients. We report the isolation and culture of Acanthamoeba species and leptomyxid amebas from four patients with fatal amebic meningoencephalitis. Acanthamoeba species were cultured from brain abscess specimens from three immunocompromised patients (including two patients with AIDS). In the case of the fourth patient, who had no identifiable immunodeficiency, leptomyxid amebas were cultured from a specimen from a subcutaneous nodule and were identified in amebic granulomas in brain tissue by the indirect immunofluorescence test. Persons with advanced infection due to the human immunodeficiency virus may be at increased risk for amebic meningoencephalitis, but the diagnosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any immunocompromised patient with cerebral abscesses.
ISSN:1058-4838
1537-6591
DOI:10.1093/clind/15.6.1024