Treatment of intestinal microsoporidiosis with albendazole in patients with AIDS

To determine the clinical and parasitological response to treatment of intestinal microsporidiosis with albendazole, we conducted an open prospective study on six consecutive AIDS patients with small intestinal microsporidiosis as the only identified cause of diarrhoea after intensive gastrointestinal investigations. Diarrhoea resolved completely in all patients with 1 week of starting treatment, and body weight stabilized or increased. Four patients who relapsed at 19-31 days after the cessation of treatment responded to a second course of albendazole. Degenerative changes occurred in the parasites after treatment, which had not been seen either in pre-treatment biopsies, or, in four patients, following therapy with other drugs.