Postmortem histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of amoebic encephalitis from Acanthamoeba spp.

Amoebic encephalitis is a rare and usually fatal disease that occurs almost exclusively in patients with immunosuppression. Amoebae including Acanthamoeba spp, Balamuthia mandrillaris, Naegleria fowleri and Sappinia pedata have all caused encephalitis in reported cases worldwide. There are currently no effective treatments.

Imaging findings are nonspecific and rarely described in literature, but can include:

• —multiple parenchymal lesions
• —pseudotumoural lesions
• —meningeal exudates
• —hemorrhagic infarcts
• —necrosis

Images and case thanks to Osaka University Hospital