HUMAN AFRICAN TRYPANOSOMIASIS - MRI

We report a case of human African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosom a brucei rhodesiense. After the febrile period of parasite disseminati on, the patient had meningeal involvement but normal CT, MRI showed th e appearances of meningitis. After two periods of arsenical treatment, a severe encephalopathy occurred suggesting post-therapeutic reactive encephalitis (PTRE). Nevertheless, T2-weighted MRI showed no oedema, but focal bilateral high signal areas in the white matter, PTRE was ex cluded and a third course of treatment was undertaken. The lesions pro gressively disappeared.