A 35-year-old heterosexual patient diagnosed with HIV had a history of chronic watery diarrhea. A colonoscopic biopsy is shown below. A most probable diagnosis is ?
In this case, a 35-year-old heterosexual patient with HIV presents with chronic watery diarrhea. This clinical presentation is typical for certain infections common in immunocompromised patients such as those with HIV.
Among the given options, Cryptosporidium is a leading cause of chronic diarrhea in HIV patients. It is a protozoan parasite that frequently infects the gastrointestinal tract of individuals with weakened immune systems.
The colonoscopic biopsy would likely have shown Cryptosporidium oocysts, which appear as small, spherical, acid-fast objects in the tissue samples.
Given the symptoms and the susceptibility of HIV patients to Cryptosporidium, along with the context provided of a colonoscopic biopsy, Cryptosporidium is the most probable diagnosis for this patient.
