Successful treatment of balamuthia mandrillaris amebic encephalitis diagnosed by MetaCAP in China: A case report and review of 25 survival cases
International Journal of Infectious Diseases·
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.ijid.2026.108745
- PMID
- 42055314
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- —
- Study type
- Journal article
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Balamuthia amebic encephalitis has a reported mortality exceeding 90 percent due to nonspecific presentation, diagnostic challenges, and limited treatment options. Improved diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies may reduce mortality in this rare infection.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The case report describes diagnosis and treatment of Balamuthia amebic encephalitis using metagenomic sequencing and reviews survival cases from the literature.
Study design
Single case report of a middle-aged male patient with BAE, supplemented by a literature review of 25 survival cases identified in PubMed.
Population and setting
One middle-aged male patient treated in China; review cases represent BAE survivors reported globally in the medical literature.
Main findings
The patient was diagnosed using MetaCAP and recovered fully with medical therapy alone, without neurosurgery. The authors suggest MetaCAP offers rapid and sensitive diagnosis, and sulfasalazine may provide anti-inflammatory benefit.
Public-health relevance
Balamuthia amebic encephalitis has a reported mortality exceeding 90 percent due to nonspecific presentation, diagnostic challenges, and limited treatment options. Improved diagnostic methods and therapeutic strategies may reduce mortality in this rare infection.
Important limitations
This summary is limited to the supplied single-article abstract and metadata. The case report describes one patient, limiting generalizability, and the literature review scope and selection criteria are not detailed in the abstract. The original paper is required for decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
The article is discoverable through amebiasis disease classification and diagnostic/treatment topic tags for China, reflecting its focus on a novel diagnostic approach and successful outcome in a typically fatal infection.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 8 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.