Cerebral toxoplasmosis diagnosed by brain tissue PCR analysis in an immunocompetent patient

Toxoplasmosis is a widespread infection caused by Toxoplasma gondii , an obligate intracellular protozoan.1 Seroprevalence rates vary greatly, from ∼9% in the United States (with wide regional variations) to more than 85% in Europe.2 The acquired infection is generally asymptomatic in healthy people, causing a self-limited lymphadenopathy or mononucleosis-like illness in about 10% of them.1 CNS toxoplasmosis usually affects immunocompromised hosts, representing 60% of the focal intracerebral mass in patients with AIDS. On the contrary, CNS toxoplasmosis is extremely rare in immunocompetent hosts and its diagnosis is commonly supported by detection of T gondii antibodies.3–7