Cryptosporidiosis in immunocompromised patients in a Turkish University Hospital

The prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis in 18 immunosuppressed diarrheic patients was evaluated by examination of fecal samples by direct staining (Modified Kinyoun and Giemsa), direct and indirect immunofluoriscence methods. Forty patients (10 nondiarrheic immunosuppressed, 10 nondiarrheic immunocompetent, and 20 diarrheic immunocompetent) were included in the study as the control group. 11 of 18 samples were positive for cryptosporidial oocysts by at least one of the methods. Oocysts were detected in all (n=7) of the AIDS patients. This high frequency was attributed to a probable nosocomial infection. None of the samples from control subjects were found positive for Cryptosporidium. Our results indicate that Cryptosporidial oocysts should be detected particularly in immunosuppressed patients with diarrhea. Modified Kinyoun staining method is practical and reliable for this purpose. Immunofluorescence staining methods can be applied for confirmation of the results

Kluyvera ascorbata infections in children: a case series

Kluyvera is a relatively newly described member of the Enterobacteriaceae family that rarely causes infections in humans. In the pediatric population, it is described in association with clinically significant infections ranging from urinary tract infections to sepsis with multiorgan failure. Our aim is to determine the clinical significance of K. ascorbata infections in the pediatric population at our institution. We retrospectively analyzed clinical microbiology data as from 2006 and identified four clinically significant isolates in this period. The isolates were from four cases who presented with sepsis, bacteremia associated with central venous catheter, pyelonephritis and intraabdominal collection. The ages of these patients ranged between seven months to 17 years. All patients received prompt antimicrobial treatment on the basis of susceptibility testing and good clinical response was obtained in all patients. Successful treatment options include third-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, betalactams with beta-lactamase inhibitors and carbapenems. Clinicians should be aware of the spectrum of disease and increasing clinical importance associated with this pathogen

Neuroinvasive Listeriosis Could Petechial Hemorrhages be a Diagnostic Clue?

Introduction:Listeria monocytogenes-related central nervous system infections may involve the cerebral parenchyma. Meningitis and meningoencephalitis are the most commonly seen forms and mainly affect immunocompromised patients; however, a less frequent form, rhombencephalitis, can occur in otherwise healthy people. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotic therapy is crucial for this otherwise fatal disorder. However, it is not always possible to rapidly establish the diagnosis because of varying presentations and discrepancies in diagnostic tests.Case Report:Herein we report 3 cases of listerial infections involving the central nervous system parenchyma, with versatile diagnostic challenges and related possible solutions and radiologic hints to overcome similar issues in the future.Conclusions:We point out the importance of nonconventional magnetic resonance imaging techniques in the diagnosis, as we detected petechial hemorrhages in the brain parenchyma in all cases, which can be a diagnostic clue