Abstract

Cerebral toxoplasmosis in an HIV negative patient: the first documented case report in Africa and literature review

Author(s): Christine Katusiime*

Background: Cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV negative persons is extremely rare. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of cerebral toxoplasmosis in an HIV negative individual in Africa. Case presentation: We present a 45-year-old HIV negative Ugandan woman who was diagnosed with cerebral toxoplasmosis. Both serology for Toxoplasma gondii and cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were positive for cerebral toxoplasmosis. The patient showed remarkable clinical improvement following initiation of chemotherapy and maintains clinical improvement. Conclusion: This case illustrates the rarity of cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV negative persons. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of cerebral toxoplasmosis in an HIV negative person in Africa and the first documented female case of its kind. This case without a doubt, underscores the necessity of routine screening for cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV negative patients that present with neurological symptoms.