11 January 2016 (Monday) - Tripanosomiasis


Here’s an interesting article: A 49-year-old woman presented immediately on return from a 2-week visit to Tanzania with

·  Malaise
·  Fatigue
·  Arthralgia
·  high fever (39°C).

Physical examination revealed signs of an arthropod bite on the neck.  
Hepatosplenomegaly and lymphadenopathy were absent. Blood analysis showed

·  leukopenia (2.3 × 109/L)
·  thrombocytopenia (55 × 109/L)
·  low prothrombin index expressed as a percentage (66%)
·  increased lactate dehydrogenase (622 IU/L; normal, 250-450 IU/L), aspartate aminotransferase: 159 IU/L; normal, 5-40 IU/L
·  alanine aminotransferase: 207 IU/L; normal, 5-40 IU/L.
·  Cerebrospinal analysis and an abdominal computed tomography scan were normal.

The peripheral blood film was diagnostic for trypanosome infection, showing the presence of extracellular flagellated parasites

  


I found this particularly relevant as I’d missed these in a recent NEQAS survey…

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