Cryptosporidium Enteritis in an Immunosuppressed Child: Applying the Adult HIV Treatment Regimen

Abstract

Introduction: Cryptosporidium is an intracellular protozoan parasite that can cause a varied severity of disease from a self-limited diarrhea in immunocompetent hosts and severe debilitating diarrhea with weight loss and malabsorption in immunocompromised patients. Patients with symptoms greater than two weeks typically are treated with nitazoxanide for three days. Case Report: 11 year old female with a history of SLE, diffuse proliferative glomerulonephritis, and hypertension was admitted to the pediatric hospital for persistent worsening watery diarrhea and a six kilogram weight loss over a three week period. Her stool …