June, 2002

Case 85
A 37-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital through the ER and died within a few days.  Before she died, blood and serum specimens were obtained.  A western blot test performed postmortem revealed that the woman was positive for HIV-1 antibodies.  An autopsy was performed to determine the cause of death.  The images shown below were captured from postmortem brain tissue sections stained with H & E (hematoxylin and eosin).  The objects seen measured 8 to 10 micrometers in diameter (Figure A, 500× and Figure B, 1000×).  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A	B

Click here for the answer to Case 85.

Case 86  (revised 6/20/2002)
A 45-year-old man, who recently returned from an extended trip to Ethiopia, sought treatment for a 3 to 5 week history of abdominal pain, diarrhea, rash, and a 20-pound weight loss.  He was admitted to the hospital for dehydration.  Several procedures were performed, including bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL).  The image below is from a Giemsa stained BAL smear (Figure A).  What is your diagnosis?  Based on what criteria?

A

Acknowledgement: This case was kindly provided by Drs. C. Touchie, A. McCarthy, and M. Desjardins of Ottawa Hospital, Ontario, Canada.  Please contact Dr. Marc Desjardins with questions or comments.

Marc Desjardins Ph.D.
Clinical Microbiologist
Ottawa Hospital
501 Smyth Rd
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada
K1H-8L6
Phone: 613-737-8899 ext 72242
Fax: 613-737-8324
e-mail: madesjardins@ottawahospital.on.ca

Click here for the answer to Case 86.

Images presented in the monthly case studies are from specimens submitted for diagnosis or archiving.  On rare occasions, clinical histories given may be partly fictitious.