Analysis of cerebral toxoplasmosis in a series of 170 allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a rare but fatal complication in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients, which mostly is caused by reactivation of latent disease.

METHODS: In this study, we report an analysis of cerebral toxoplasmosis in a series of 170 allogeneic stem cell transplant patients during a 30-month period at our institution.

RESULTS: Among these allogeneic stem cell transplant patients, 5 were diagnosed with cerebral toxoplasmosis by brain magnetic resonance imaging and polymerase chain reaction of Toxoplasma gondii DNA. The incidence of cerebral toxoplasmosis was found to be 2.94%.

CONCLUSION: Mortality rate is known to be very high in cerebral toxoplasmosis; therefore, it is life saving to diagnose the disease in the early stages and start treatment promptly, especially in high-endemic countries like Turkey.