A 32-year-old man is being assessed after suffering from watery diarrhea for many weeks. He also experienced intermittent, crampy stomach pain and dropped 7 kg (15.4 lb) throughout this time. The patient has a history of HIV and was admitted to the hospital six months ago for Pneumocystis pneumonia. The patient is afebrile on physical examination, and the abdomen is soft and nontender, with no organomegaly. Stool leukocyte and occult blood tests are negative. Endoscopy is done, and a mucosal biopsy reveals an inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria as well as pathogens lining the epithelium, as seen in the exhibit. . The organisms have a cystic appearance on modified acid-fast staining. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

Question

A 32-year-old man is being assessed after suffering from watery diarrhea for many weeks. He also experienced intermittent, crampy stomach pain and dropped 7 kg (15.4 lb) throughout this time. The patient has a history of HIV and was admitted to the hospital six months ago for Pneumocystis pneumonia. The patient is afebrile on physical examination, and the abdomen is soft and nontender, with no organomegaly. Stool leukocyte and occult blood tests are negative. Endoscopy is done, and a mucosal biopsy reveals an inflammatory infiltrate in the lamina propria as well as pathogens lining the epithelium, as seen in the exhibit. .   The organisms have a cystic appearance on modified acid-fast staining.  Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Cryptosporidium is a common cause of self-limiting diarrhea in immunocompetent hosts, but it can be fatal in immunocompromised people (eg, advanced AIDS). Diagnosis can be made by seeing oocysts in stool with a modified acid-fast stain or basophilic organisms along the brush-border in a biopsy.

A 32-Year-Old Man Is Being Assessed After Suffering from Watery