Cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV infected patients: Experience at Mohamed VI University Hospital Marrakesh, Morocco

Cerebral toxoplasmosis is one of the main opportunistic infections of the central nervous system in AIDS. The aim of this study is to investigate the general characteristics of cerebral toxoplasmosis in HIV infection and AIDS in a hospital setting at the Mohamed VI University Hospital in Marrakech. It involved all HIV-infected patients with probable or confirmed cerebral toxoplasmosis. Twenty-one out of 453 patients monitored for HIV infection met the diagnostic criteria, representing a prevalence of 4.63%. Clinical manifestations were characterized by signs of neurological deficit (80%), intracranial hypertension (42%), and syndrome. CT scans showed hypodensities with peripheral enhancement in a cockade pattern (33%). Cotrimoxazole was used in 95% of patients. The outcome was clinical improvement in 66% of cases, while death occurred in 6 cases (28%). Early diagnosis and primary prevention in patients with CD4 lymphocyte counts below 200 cells/mm3 remain essential to improve the prognosis and survival of these patients.