[AIDS complicated with disseminated toxoplasmosis: a pathological study of 9 autopsy cases].

Nine autopsy cases of disseminated toxoplasmosis in New York are reported. Brain were involved in 9 cases, heart in 8, lung in 4, and pancreas, GI tract, thyroid, lymph nodes and urogenital organs were also involved. There were toxoplasma encephalitis in 9 cases, myocarditis in 4, pneumonia in 3 and pancreatitis in 2. Only toxoplasma encephalitis and pneumonia produced signs and symptoms leading to diagnosis by CT scan of brain, toxoplasma antibody titer and confirmed by smears, bone marrow biopsy and autopsy based on recognition of encysted toxoplasma. The authors classified the lesions as static (latent), necrotic, infiltrative and proliferative status, with the emphasis on the diagnostic significance of identification of toxoplasma, especially its encysted form.