Incidence of epilepsy and brain toxoplasmosis in hospital Mario Rivas, Honduras

Abstract

The presence of neurological alterations is a frequent manifestation in patients with HIV, especially focal onset epilepsy. The cerebral toxoplasmosis represents the main cause of occupational injury in an immunological patient for HIV related to a CD4 T lymphocyte count less than 100/uL. A descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out in which the clinical characteristics associated with cerebral toxoplasmosis were determined, as well as the alterations in the main encephalographic alterations and the findings in neuroimaging studies (cranial tomography or cerebral magnetic resonance). All patients underwent a complete medical history including history of neurological diseases. A total of 26 patients with a diagnosis of HIV-AIDS infection and cerebral toxoplasmosis were evaluated, of which 15 (57.7%) were women. The age of the patients ranged between 23 and 65 years (standard deviation 11,081). The manifestation by which the patients were admitted (main symptom) were altered state of consciousness (2, 7.7%), acute psychotic outbreak (4, 15.3%), headache (1, 3.8%), seizures (10, 38.5 %), focal motor deficit (5, 19.2%), vertigo (1, 3.8%), diarrhea (1, 3.8%), fever (1, 3.8%) and alteration of cranial nerves (1, 3.8%). Differents findings was found in patients: slow-wave, spike-slow wave complex, polymorphic slow wave. Toxoplasmosis is a frequent opportunistic infection in patients with HIV, with epilepsy being one of the main manifestations of this. Neuroimaging studies (brain CT or brain MRI) allow diagnosis. The encephalogram study is frequently associated with alterations in patients with toxoplasmosis. Timely diagnosis is associated with a good prognosis in our patients.