Successful Treatment of Disseminated Acanthamoeba sp. Infection with Miltefosine
2008

Successful Treatment of Acanthamoeba Infection

Sample size: 1 publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Aichelburg Alexander C., Walochnik Julia, Assadian Ojan, Prosch Helmut, Steuer Andrea, Perneczky Gedeon, Visvesvara Govinda S., Aspöck Horst, Vetter Norbert

Primary Institution: Otto Wagner Hospital, Vienna, Austria

Hypothesis

Can miltefosine effectively treat disseminated Acanthamoeba sp. infection in an immunocompromised patient?

Conclusion

The patient showed significant improvement and remained infection-free for two years after treatment with miltefosine.

Supporting Evidence

  • The patient had severe immunosuppression and was co-infected with tuberculosis.
  • Miltefosine was effective in treating the skin lesions and brain abscesses.
  • Two years after treatment, the patient showed no signs of infection.

Takeaway

A man with a rare brain infection got better after taking a special medicine called miltefosine, and he hasn't been sick for two years.

Methodology

The patient was treated with miltefosine and a combination of other medications, including a standard tuberculostatic regimen.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to the lack of a control group and reliance on case reports for treatment decisions.

Limitations

The study is based on a single case, limiting generalizability.

Participant Demographics

A 25-year-old immunocompromised male from India living in Austria.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.3201/eid1411.070854

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