Diagnosing Balamuthia mandrillaris amebic meningoencephalitis in a 64-year-old woman from the Southwest of China.

ABSTRACT: Balamuthia mandrillaris amebic encephalitis (BAE) can cause a fatal condition if diagnosis is delayed or effective treatment is lacking. Patients with BAE have been previously reported in 12 provinces of China, with skin lesions being the primary symptom and encephalitis developing after several years. However, a significantly lower number of cases has been reported in Southwest China. Here we report an aggressive BAE case of a 64-year-old woman farmer with a history of skin lesions on her left hand. She was admitted to our hospital due to symptoms of dizziness, headache, cough, vomiting, and gait instability. She was initially diagnosed with syphilitic meningoencephalitis and received a variety of empirical treatment that failed to improve her symptoms. Finally, she was diagnosed with BAE

SUBMITTER: Yao S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10234826 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature