A patient with AIDS develops severe headaches. A CT scan demonstrates multiple ring-enhancing lesions of the brain. What diagnosis is most likely?
- Toxoplasmosis
- Histoplasmosis
- Lymphoma
- Cytomegalovirus
- Herpes encephalitis
Answer: A
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis occurs commonly in HIV and is a parasitic infection causing ring-enhancing lesions (but lots of things can cause ring-enhancing lesions). CMV is common as well and typically causes retinitis. Herpes encephalitis can happen frequently too but causes a diffuse encephalitis.
Know Your Content Blueprint
Toxoplasmosis is covered in the NCCPA™ Content Blueprint Infectious Disease (3%)
Review Topic: Toxoplasmosis