BackgroundFungal brain abscess is an uncommon disease, mostly associated with immunocompromised states and poorly controlled diabetes. Its incidence, however, is rising as a result of the increasing use of immunosuppressive agents, corticosteroids and broad-spectrum antimicrobial therapy. Candida species have emerged as the most prevalent etiologic agents of brain abscesses in autopsy studies.Case presentationA 46-year-old male with a history of injection drug abuse, chronic hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus presented to the Emergency Department of our hospital following a generalized tonic-clonic seizure without recovery of mental status. On admission, the patient was in coma, febrile, with severe acidemia with respiratory and metabolic acidosis, requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. Brain imaging revealed multiple ring-enhancing lesions with oedema and mass effect. Microbiologic studies, including cerebrospinal fluid, blood, sputum and urine cultures, were all negative. A stereotactic brain biopsy was performed and culture of brain specimens revealed Candida albicans. The patient was successfully treated with fluconazole therapy for 48 weeks presenting a good clinical response and a complete radiological resolution of brain abscesses.ConclusionDespite advances in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, fungal brain abscess remains a life-threatening disease with a poor outcome. Successful treatment requires an early diagnosis and usually a combined medical and surgical approach. A long-term antibiotic regimen is a cornerstone of fungal brain abscesses treatment, with the endpoint determined by clinical and neuroimaging response. The authors report an uncommon case of successfully treated Candida albicans brain abscesses with anti-fungal therapy consisting of fluconazole alone. This case illustrates the importance of early recognition of predisposing factors and multidisciplinary approach in timely therapeutic intervention, in order to prevent neurologic sequelae and improve the outcome of the patients with this severe and challenging form of central nervous system infection.

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BackgroundCytomegalovirus (CMV) reactivation with neurological involvement in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is increasingly rare since the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Manifestations include encephalitis, myelitis, polyradiculopathy and, less commonly, mononeuritis multiplex (MNM). We report a case of disseminated CMV disease with gastrointestinal and peripheral and central nervous system involvement in a patient with AIDS, manifesting primarily as MNM.Case presentationA 31-year old woman with AIDS presented with a clinical picture of MNM. Electromyography confirmed the clinical findings. CMV DNA was detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood. Gastrointestinal involvement was histologically documented. HIV RNA was also detected in CSF and brain MRI was consistent with HIV encephalopathy. A diagnosis of disseminated CMV disease (with esophagitis, colitis, encephalitis and MNM) and HIV encephalopathy was made. Treatment consisted of ganciclovir and foscarnet, followed by maintenance therapy with valganciclovir. Evolution was favorable and valganciclovir was stopped after sustained immune recovery following ART initiation.ConclusionWe discuss the diagnostic approach to CMV neurological disease, with a focus on MNM and CMV encephalitis. Combination therapy with ganciclovir and foscarnet should be considered for all forms of neurological involvement, although available data are scarce. Since there is significant overlap between CMV encephalitis and HIV encephalopathy, ART drugs with higher CSF penetration may have to be considered. ART and immune recovery are essential to improve outcomes.

Acta Med Port 2015 May-Jun;28(3):286-296 RESUMOIntrodução: A leucoencefalopatia multifocal progressiva é uma patologia desmielinizante causada pelo vírus John Cunningham, geralmente associada a estados de imunodepressão, em particular a infeção pelo vírus da imunodeficiência humana. Pode apresentar múltiplas manifestações clínicas e tem habitualmente um padrão imagiológico típico. A evolução clínica é geralmente progressiva, podendo ocorrer uma melhoria do prognóstico associada à recuperação imunológica. Results: Twenty-one patients were included in our study, mostly men (n = 20, 95.2%). Mean age at diagnosis was 39 years. Motor deficits were the most common clinical finding. John Cunningham virus-DNA was detected in the cerebral spinal fluid in 20 patients (95.2%). Brain imaging studies most commonly disclosed bilateral supratentorial, asymmetric lesions. Four (19%) patients developed immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in the follow-up. Therapeutic approach included initiation and continuation/optimization of antiretroviral therapy, with adjunctive therapy with corticosteroids in four patients. Seventeen (81%) patients died during the study period; median survival time following progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy diagnosis was 3 months (range 1 -13). Discussion:The results of our study are in accordance with the data previously published on progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy in human immunodeficiency virus patients. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy is predominantly associated with severe immunosuppression, particularly in patients who are not under anti-retroviral therapy, and usually presents with motor and cognitive symptoms and signs. A typical bilateral asymmetric pattern in conventional magnetic resonance imaging is present in the majority of the patients. There is no specific therapy for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and it is usually fatal, although outcomes can improve with highly active anti-retroviral therapy. Immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome is also an important complication related with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, usually associated with anti-retroviral therapy. Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy-immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome presents with different imaging characteristics from progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and treatment with steroids can improve survival. Conclusion:The mortality rate and long-term neurological morbidity associated with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy are quite high. These data should increase clinician awareness to the occurrence of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy among human immunodeficiency virus patients and highlight the important role of magnetic resonance imaging, as early diagnosis may be associated with better outcome.