Challenges and advances in the medical treatment of granulomatous amebic encephalitisNatasha Spottiswoode, Julia C. Haston, Natasha W. Hanners, Katherine Gruenberg , Annie Kim, Joseph L. DeRisi and Michael R. Wilson
Sage Journals, 2024Abstract: Granulomatous amebic encephalitis, caused by the free-living amebae Balamuthia mandrillaris or Acanthamoeba species, is a rare and deadly infectious syndrome with a current mortality rate of less than 90%. Much work remains to define the optimal treatment for these infections. Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the supporting evidence behind antimicrobials currently recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with updated statistics on survival rates and medication usage from the CDC Free-Living Ameba Database. We also discuss promising treatments, especially the emerging therapeutic agent nitroxoline, and provide recommendations for the next steps in this area.
