Identification of Cryptosporidium hominis in a patient with sclerosing cholangitis and AIDS

Cryptosporidium hominis (C hominis) is the most common protozoan parasite recognized in human patients with AIDS. We report the clinical features of a patient with chronic diarrhea and AIDS-related sclerosing cholangitis. The imaging studies with ultrasonography and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography disclosed intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile duct changes identical to those seen in sclerosing cholangitis. C hominis was detected in the duodenum and peri-papillary duodenum by means of light microscopy and confirmed by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification from fresh biopsy specimens followed by restriction length polymorphism analysis. Chominis infection should be suspected in our country in patients with advanced immunodeficiency and AIDS-related sclerosing cholangitis.