An Unconventional Diagnostic Method for Cryptosporidial Enteritis in a Healthy Host: Never Call It Quits!

Abstract

Cryptosporidial enteritis has a rising incidence in the USA, mostly affecting immunocompromised individuals and children. It has a self-limiting course in healthy hosts. Herein, we present a unique case of a healthy middle-aged female who presented with a 1-month history of voluminous watery diarrhea and acute blood loss anemia. Cryptosporidial enteritis was diagnosed based on endoscopy with biopsy-proven evidence of 2 jejunal peptic ulcers infected with Cryptosporidiumspp. that was originally missed on routine stool culture, ova and parasite tests. The patient was successfully treated with nitazoxanide,and eradication of the protozoan was also confirmed on repeat endoscopic biopsies of the ulcer that were carried out 6 months later. To our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported in the literature with infective colonization of peptic ulcers with Cryptosporidiumspp.with consequent systemic symptoms.

Keywords

• cryptosporidium
• endoscopy
• enteritis
• immunocompetent host
• stool culture