health
Man dies covered in necrotic lesions after amoebas eat him alive
Doctors suspect three factors, each unremarkable on its own, contributed to his fate.
TL;DR
- A 78-year-old man developed severe, full-body necrotic lesions and ulcers caused by an *Acanthamoeba* infection.
- This type of infection is typically seen in immunocompromised individuals, but the patient had no known risk factors other than nasal polyps and asthma treated with dupilumab.
- Doctors initially suspected autoimmune issues and administered immunosuppressants, which worsened his condition.
- Diagnosis of *Acanthamoeba* was confirmed through skin biopsy and DNA testing.
- Despite a multi-drug regimen and an experimental antibiotic, the patient's condition worsened, leading to multiorgan failure and death.
- Researchers speculated that nasal rinsing, age, and the immunosuppressive effects of dupilumab may have collectively contributed to the fatal infection.