Infectious and parasitic diseases

Opisthorchiasis - Overview

Opisthorchiasis (Latin: opisthorchosis, English: opisthorchiasis, French: opisthorchiase) is a natural focal biohelminthiasis with a fecal-oral mechanism of transmission of the pathogen, characterized by a long course and predominant damage to the hepatobiliary system and pancreas.

Pneumocystosis - Treatment

Treatment of pneumocystosis in children without immunodeficiency states currently consists of prescribing trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (120 mg four times a day), often in combination with furazolidone (one tablet four times a day) or trichopolum (four tablets a day) for 1-2 weeks.

Pneumocystosis - Diagnosis

The detection of the pathogen is of crucial importance for confirming the diagnosis of pneumocystosis. The main material for the study is sputum, bronchial secretions, washings obtained during bronchial lavage or bronchoalveolar lavage, pieces of lung tissue taken during transbronchial, percutaneous or open biopsy. Most often, due to the serious condition of the patient, these manipulations are not carried out in order to avoid complications.

Pneumocystosis - Symptoms.

In young children, pneumocystosis occurs as a classic interstitial pneumonia with a clear correspondence to the stages of the pathological process. The disease begins gradually, typical symptoms of pneumocystosis appear: the child's appetite worsens, weight gain stops, pallor and cyanosis of the nasolabial triangle appear (especially when eating and screaming), and a slight cough.

Pneumocystosis - Causes and Pathogenesis

P. jiroveci is a microorganism whose taxonomic position is not determined. Most researchers classify it as a protozoan (subtype Sporozoa, class Haplospora). However, in recent years, evidence has accumulated that, according to the nucleotide sequences of ribosomal RNA, pneumocystis is closer to fungi. It is an extracellular parasite with a predominant tropism for lung tissue, affecting first- and second-order pneumocytes.

Pneumocystosis - Overview

Pneumocystosis (pneumocystis pneumonia) is an opportunistic infectious disease caused by Pneumocystis jiroveci (old name - Pneumocystis carinii), characterized by the development of pneumocystis pneumonia. Due to the possible damage to other organs and systems, the term "pneumocystosis" is more justified.

Cryptosporidiosis - Treatment

The prognosis for patients with HIV infection at the AIDS stage is unfavorable: the disease develops with a very low immune status, there is no effective etiotropic treatment, even with adequate pathogenetic and antiretroviral therapy, the number of CD4 lymphocytes does not have time to increase to a protective level. In patients with a normal number of CD4 lymphocytes or minor immunodeficiency, the prognosis is favorable.

Cryptosporidiosis - Diagnosis

Laboratory diagnostics of cryptosporidiosis does not reveal specific changes. Severe cryptosporidiosis develops with severe immunodeficiency (the number of CD4 lymphocytes is below 0.1x109/l), therefore, changes characteristic of its manifestations (for example, leukopenia and erythrocytopenia) are recorded in the tests.

Cryptosporidiosis - Causes and Pathogenesis

The cause of cryptosporidiosis is coccidia of the genus Cryptosporidium, family Cryptosporidiae, class Sporozoasida, subclass Coccidiasina. The genus Cryptosporidium includes 6 species, of which C. parvum is pathogenic for humans.

Cryptosporidiosis - Overview

Cryptosporidiosis is a saprozoonotic protozoan disease characterized by damage primarily to the digestive tract and dehydration. The transmission route is fecal-oral.