Cerebral toxoplasmosis in undifferentiated connective disease treated with mycophenolate mofetil: an unusual case report

Excerpt

Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common human infections. Indeed about one-third of the entire world population is infected with latent toxoplasmosis. CNS toxoplasmosis represents reactivation of previous latent infection. Patients usually present with fever, headache, impaired consciousness, seizures, and/or focal neurological deficits. Diagnosis might necessitate the presence of Toxoplasma antibodies in serum, but this is not an absolute requirement because other diagnostic tools may support the diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis and justify empiric treatment in the absence of Toxoplasma antibodies. Brain biopsy, as we describe, can provide a definitive diagnosis. CNS toxoplasmosis may complicate the clinical course of patients with acquired human immunodeficiency (e.g. AIDS), immune system disease, or prolonged pharmacologic immunosuppressive treatment [1]. The differential diagnosis includes primary CNS lymphoma, progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, HIV encephalopathy, and CMV encephalitis [2]. …