Primary Toxoplasma gondii infection-associated with hemophagocytic syndrome in a man with HIV infection: a case report
- Resource Type
- article
- Authors
- Ying Zhou; Yongfeng Liu; Ying Wen
- Source
- BMC Infectious Diseases, Vol 22, Iss 1, Pp 1-5 (2022)
- Subject
- Primary Toxoplasma gondii infection
Hemophagocytic syndrome
Human immunodeficiency virus
Metagenomic next-generation sequencing
Infectious and parasitic diseases
RC109-216
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 1471-2334
Abstract Background Reactivation of latent Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection is more common than primary infection in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We report a rare case of primary T. gondii infection-associated hemophagocytic syndrome (HPS). Case presentation A man with HIV infection presented with fever, dyspnea and pancytopenia. He was diagnosed with primary T. gondii infection by the seroconversion from single-positive IgM antibody to double-positive IgM and IgG antibody. Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) of a plasma sample yielded high reads of T. gondii DNA. He responded well to combined anti-Toxoplasma medicines and glucocorticoid treatment. Conclusions In patients with HPS and positive T. gondii IgM antibody, mNGS analysis of a peripheral blood sample is helpful in diagnosing disseminated T. gondii infection. The dynamic changes by serological detection for IgM and IgG of T. gondii further supported the inference that the patient has experienced a primary T. gondii infection.