Toxoplasma encephalopathy

Introduction to Toxoplasmosis Toxoplasma encephalopathy is a brain parasitic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, which is the main cause of death from toxoplasmosis. Because the blood-brain barrier prevents antibodies from entering the central nervous system, approximately 50% of patients with toxoplasmosis may be associated with cerebral toxoplasmosis. According to the infection route of toxoplasma, it is divided into two types: congenital and acquired. Acquired toxoplasmosis encephalopathy is mainly caused by ingestion of uncooked meat, eggs and unsterilized milk containing Toxoplasma gondii; it can also be infected through skin, mucous membrane damage or transfusion, organ transplantation; contact is contaminated by oocysts Soil and water sources are also important routes of transmission. Arthropods (flies, cockroaches) can also be transmitted by carrying oocysts. Strengthen the management of meat quarantine, food hygiene and cat raising, do not eat raw or half-lived meat, unsterilized dairy products, and routinely check the pregnant women for Toxoplasma gondii to prevent the occurrence of congenital toxoplasmosis. basic knowledge The proportion of illness: 0.001% Susceptible people: no specific population Mode of infection: fecal-mouth transmission Complications: choroiditis, hepatitis, pneumonia, peritonitis

Cause of toxoplasmosis encephalopathy

Acquired toxoplasmosis encephalopathy is mainly caused by ingestion of uncooked meat, eggs and unsterilized milk containing Toxoplasma gondii; it can also be infected through skin, mucous membrane damage or transfusion, organ transplantation; contact is contaminated by oocysts The soil and water source are also important transmission routes. Arthropods (fly, cockroach) carry oocysts also have certain transmission significance.

Toxoplasmosis prevention

1. Strengthen the monitoring and isolation of livestock, poultry and suspicious animals.

2. Strengthen meat quarantine, food hygiene and cat management, do not eat raw or half-lived meat, unsterilized dairy products, and routinely check for pregnant women with Toxoplasma gondii to prevent the occurrence of congenital toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmic encephalopathy complications Complications choroiditis hepatitis pneumonia peritonitis

1. Toxoplasma infection can cause multiple tissues, multiple organ damage, often with some important organs such as the eye, with retinal choroiditis more common.

2. If the patient's resistance is reduced, the acute spread of Toxoplasma gondii can often cause hepatitis, pneumonia, extensive myositis, pericarditis, nephritis, arthritis and peritonitis.

Toxoplasmic encephalopathy symptoms common symptoms fatigue nausea increased intracranial pressure meningitis congenital toxoplasma hepatosplem size brain water stasis muscle papilledema

First, medical history and symptoms:

Because the blood-brain barrier prevents antibodies from entering the central nervous system, about 50% of patients with toxoplasmosis may be associated with cerebral toxoplasmosis. According to the infection of the toxoplasma, it is divided into congenital and acquired.

1. The latency of acquired toxoplasmosis encephalopathy varies from 3 days to 2 years, but primary encephalopathy can also be part of systemic toxoplasmosis. It is more common in patients with low immune function. Clinically, there may be meningitis, diffuse encephalopathy, seizures. Intracranial space-occupying lesions or mental abnormalities.

2. Pregnant women with congenital toxoplasmosis often cause abortion after infection, premature or stillbirth, surviving infants may have hydrocephalus, microcephaly, mental retardation and other abnormalities.

Some patients with toxoplasmosis may have fever, myalgia, fatigue, lymph nodes, hepatosplenomegaly, choroiditis, iritis, retinitis, etc.

Second, physical examination found:

1. Patients with increased intracranial pressure may have headache, nausea, vomiting, and papilledema in the fundus.

2. Patients with brain parenchymal damage may have hemiplegia, aphasia and so on.

The cause of congenital toxoplasmosis is the infection of the fetus in the mother's placental blood.

Examination of toxoplasmosis

1. Lumbar puncture cerebrospinal fluid examination: lymphocytes mainly composed of lymphocytes, accompanied by increased eosinophils and protein.

2. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid were positive for anti-toxoplasma antibody test.

3. Head CT examination see single or multiple equal or low density lesions.

4. Cerebrospinal fluid, lymph node, brain biopsy found in the toxoplasma trophozoite is diagnosed.

Diagnosis and diagnosis of toxoplasmosis

diagnosis

Diagnosis can be based on medical history, clinical symptoms, and laboratory tests.

Differential diagnosis

Sometimes it needs to be differentiated from tuberculosis, cryptococcal meningitis, and herpetic meningoencephalitis. It is not difficult to identify by positive detection of serum and cerebrospinal fluid anti-toxoplasma antibodies by pathogen examination.

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