Toxoplasma encephalitis in a HIV patient: unusual involvement of the corpus callosum

Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 1997 Dec;99(4):287-90. doi: 10.1016/s0303-8467(97)00101-7.

Abstract

In patients with acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome, the differential diagnosis between primary brain lymphoma and toxoplasma encephalitis is not radiologically always straightforward, especially in the presence of a solitary cerebral lesion. In this context, involvement of the corpus callosum is almost exclusively associated with primary brain lymphoma. We describe here an HIV-infected patient who presented with a single and large cerebral lesion affecting the corpus callosum, suggestive of primary brain lymphoma on MRI-scan but who nonetheless responded clinically and radiologically to an anti-toxoplasma drug trial confirming the diagnosis of toxoplasma encephalitis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
  • Brain Neoplasms / complications
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Corpus Callosum / pathology*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Encephalitis / complications
  • Encephalitis / drug therapy
  • Encephalitis / etiology*
  • HIV Seropositivity / complications*
  • Humans
  • Lymphoma / complications
  • Lymphoma / pathology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Pyrimethamine / therapeutic use
  • Sulfadiazine / therapeutic use
  • Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral / complications*

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Sulfadiazine
  • Pyrimethamine