Respiratory cryptosporidiosis in two patients with HIV infection in a tertiary care hospital in Morocco.

Respiratory cryptosporidiosis is recognized as a late-stage complication in persons with AIDS. We report two cases of respiratory cryptosporidiosis in patients with HIV infection. The first patient was a 46-year-old person with chronic diarrhea, a two-month history of low-grade fever, progressive dyspnea and productive cough. The search for acid-fast bacillus, Pneumocystis jirovecii, Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptococcus sp. in sputum was negative on several samples. The modified Ziehl has shown oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. in induced sputum. The patient's death occurred, due to electrolytes disorders. The second patient was a 45-year-old person hospitalized for chronic fluid diarrhea, complicated with weight loss, dry cough, dyspnea stage II and low-grade fever. The patient was HIV-positive with low CD4 count and pancytopenia. Acid-fast oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp. were observed in stool samples and induced sputum. The patient was treated daily with azithromycin 500  mg resulting of disappearance of gastrointestinal and respiratory disorders.