1. Encephalopathy after ivermectin treatment in a patient infected with Loa loa and Plasmodium spp.
- Author
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Kamgno J, Boussinesq M, Labrousse F, Nkegoum B, Thylefors BI, and Mackenzie CD
- Subjects
- Animals, Antiparasitic Agents therapeutic use, Brain Diseases pathology, Cameroon, Fatal Outcome, Humans, Ivermectin therapeutic use, Loa growth & development, Loa isolation & purification, Loiasis complications, Malaria complications, Male, Middle Aged, Plasmodium growth & development, Plasmodium isolation & purification, Antiparasitic Agents adverse effects, Brain Diseases chemically induced, Ivermectin adverse effects, Loiasis drug therapy, Malaria drug therapy
- Abstract
Despite over 350 million people being safely treated with ivermectin, there have been rare cases of death post-treatment; these events are most often associated with high Loa loa microfilaremia. This first autopsy description of an encephalopathy case following the administration of ivermectin involves a 45-year-old male who became comatose 3 days after treatment. He slowly deteriorated over 5 weeks and died at 54 days after the anthelminthic treatment, probably as a result of a secondary skin or pulmonary infection exacerbated by malnutrition. The major pre- and post-autopsy findings included the presence of high loads of Loa loa, positivity for Plasmodium, the presence of a longstanding respiratory condition, and vascular pathology in the brain. The central nervous system lesions have similarities with those described in previously reported cases of Loa loa-associated death following diethylcarbamazine treatment.
- Published
- 2008