A case report of Balamuthia mandrillaris encephalitis

Abstract

Balamuthia amoebic encephalitis (BAE) is a rare and severe parasitic infection of the central nervous system. Its delayed diagnosis and treatment are often due to the lack of specific clinical manifestations and its poor prognosis. Reported mortality rates reach around 95%. The Balamuthia mandrillaris is also known as the “brain-eating amoeba.” Recently, the use of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in clinical settings has led to an increase in BAE diagnoses. A case report detailing the use of mNGS to diagnose granulomatous encephalitis caused by the Baramsi amoeba has improved clinicians’ understanding of this disease and helped reduce misdiagnoses and missed diagnoses.

Keywords

• Amoeba
• Balamuthia mandrillaris
• Granulomatous amoebic encephalitis
• Metagenomic next-generation sequencing
• Case report