OPPORTUNISTIC PARASITIC PULMONARY INFECTIONS IN HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) INFECTED PATIENTS: WITH REFERENCES TO EGYPTIAN PARASITES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Military Medical Academy, Cairo11291, Egypt.

2 Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo 115662, Egypt.

Abstract

Prior to the era of potent antiretroviral therapy, parasitic pulmonary infections were more commonly seen than they are today. However, the clinician needs to be aware of the presenting symptoms and signs of these uncommon infections, which may still occur in the immuno-suppressed patient with untreated or drug-resistant HIV infection. The commonest pulmonary parasites are protozoa (toxoplasmosis, amebiasis, cryptosporidiosis and microsporidiosis) and helminthes (paragonimiasis, hydatidosis ancylostomiasis, stronyloidiasis and toxocariasis). It is important to consider parasitic infections in the differential diagnosis of such lung diseases. If parasites are identified early, most parasitosis affect lung is curable with medical or surgical treatments.

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