BEING ALIVE; May 1995

Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis, a rare and unusual fungal infection, is found in the lungs and sinuses. Symptoms include cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, facial pain, fever, and night sweats. Diagnosis can be made by bronchoscopy; by biopsy, a procedure in which a sample of tissue is taken and examined under a microscope; or by taking a culture of the infected area. The treament of choice is intravenous amphotericin B, but researchers are studying oral itraconazole as an alternative treatment.

B-19 Parvovirus

B-19 parvovirus is a viral infection that may cause severe anemia, a decrease in red blood cell count or hemoglobin. A very small study suggests that IVI (intravenous immune globulin, a drug used to treat a variety of infectious diseases) was effective in reversing B-19 parvovirus-related anemia in seven HIV+ patients. HIV+ children with B-19 infections are likely to experience pancytopenia, a significant decrease in the number of white blood cells circulating in the body.

Coccidioidomycosis

Coccidioidomycosis (pronounced "cock-sidi-OY-doh-my-ko-sis") is an uncommon fungal infection usually seen in the lungs, but it can affect any part of the body. Symptoms closely resemble those of PCP and include a dry cough, fatigue, shortness of breath, weight loss, and fever. People who receive PCP prophylaxis and who continue to have symptoms may have this illness or another fungal infection. Meningitis, an inflammation of the brain, is the most serious complication of the illness. Coccidiodomycosis usually responds well to the antifungal drug amphotericin B, while ketoconazole or fluconazole may be effective against mild cases. Investigatores are studying fluconazole to determine whether it's effective in preventing the disease.

Histoplasmosis

Histoplasmosis is a fungal infection usually occurring in AIDS patients with fewer than 100 CD4 cells. It is caused by the organism Histoplasma capsulatum found in the south-central United States and South America. Fever, cough, swollen glands, shortness of breath, weight loss, and anemia are some of the signs and symptoms. Histoplasmosis usually spreads throughout the patient's body but is most often seen in the lungs, less frequently in the skin and gastrointestinal tract. Amphotericin B and itraconazole are approved treatments. Itraconazole is the maintenance treatment of choice for the illness.

Isosporiasis

Isosporiasis is an opportunistic infection that invades the intestines, causing persistent, watery diarrhea and other symptoms that resemble those of cryptosporidiosis. The parasite that causes the disease, Isospora belli, is often found in contaminated food in subtropical climates such as much of Latin America. Isosporiasis is diagnosed by microscopic examination of a person's stool. Persons with the disease are usually treated with TMP-SMX (Bactrim or Septra). A combination of sulfadoxine and pyrimethamine is used to prevent return of the organism. Patients who cannot tolerate these drugs may be given pyrimethamine and leucoverin.

950501
BA950503

Copyright © 1995 - Beings Alive. Permission granted for noncommercial reproduction, provided that our address and phone number are included if more than short quotations are used. Subscription lists are kept confidential. Being Alive, 621 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069, Tel - 310.289.2551; FAX - 310.289.9866; Email: BeiAlive@aol.com  http://www.beingalivela.org/