CHILD TOXOPLASMOSIS AND LIMPHADENOPATHY - CASE REPORT

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to increase awareness of medical doctors to consider toxoplasmosis as one of the possible causes of lymphadenopathy in older children. Toxoplasmosis is one of the most common and widespread parasitic diseases in the world, even 22.5% of children over 12 years old are infected with Toxoplasmosis. The disease is  caused by the parasite Toxoplasmosis Gondi. Тhe disease is transmitted through the feces of infected cats that are carriers of the parasite. We report the case of a 13-year-old child who appears to be a healthy and immunocompetent child and who clinically presents with enlargement  of 2  lymph nodes in the left neck region that are  unpainful on palpation, one of which measures 4/5 cm and the other with dimensions of 1/2 cm. The child is in good general condition without significant health disorders. The epidemiological survey is positive for frequent contact with a domestic cat. The performed serological tests show strongly positive values for the presence of IgM and especially for IgG antibodies for Toxoplasmosis. Surgical extirpation of the one bigger lymph node  because of diagnostic dilemmas was carried out. Pathohistological analysis confirms diagnosis of Toxoplasmosis and malignancy was excluded. From the results obtained from the Enzyme Immune Test for the age of IgG antibodies (avidity), a low avidity of IgG antibodies was determined. Additional research is needed whether  excessive exposure to the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can be associated with a more severe clinical picture of the disease.