1/73. Massive pleural effusions in cryptococcal meningitis.Cryptococcal infection uncommonly presents with pulmonary manifestations and even more rarely so as massive bilateral effusions. Pleural involvement is usually associated with underlying pulmonary parenchymal lesions and is unusual while on antifungal therapy. We report a patient with cryptococcal meningitis who, while on intravenous 5-flucytosine and amphotericin b, developed life-threatening bilateral massive pleural effusions with evidence of spontaneous resolution, consistent with prior hypothesis of antigenic stimulation as the cause of pleural involvement.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/73. cryptococcosis during systemic glucocorticosteroid treatment.cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection caused by a fungus, cryptococcus neoformans. It is usually seen in immunocompromised patients with AIDS, leukaemia, lymphoma, sarcoidosis or immunosuppressive treatments. We describe a patient who was treated with systemic glucocorticosteroids for 4 years because of lung sarcoidosis. During the last year of treatment, a papular eruption developed which later became ulcerative. In a histopathological examination of a skin biopsy, there was granulomatous inflammation, and the disease was treated as sarcoidosis without success. After 1 year's unsuccessful treatment, another skin biopsy and skin fungal culture revealed C. neoformans. Cryptococcal antigen was found in blood and cerebrospinal fluid, too. The patient was successfully treated first with an amphotericin-B-flucytosine combination and later with fluconazole.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/73. Pulmonary cryptococcosis in the immunocompetent host. Therapy with oral fluconazole: a report of four cases and a review of the literature.Isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis (IPC) is an infrequently diagnosed infection, the management of which is not well defined. In past years, IPC traditionally has not been treated in the immunocompetent host, given its perceived benign and self-limited course and the toxicity associated with amphotericin b. However, some patients manifest prominent and disabling symptoms, and infection occasionally may disseminate. fluconazole is active against cryptococcus neoformans, is easily administered, and has an excellent safety profile. We present four healthy hosts with IPC who were treated with oral fluconazole for 6 to 8 weeks. A review of the literature was conducted to identify other cases of IPC in healthy hosts who were also treated with fluconazole. Our results and the limited experience reported in the literature suggest that fluconazole may be an appropriate choice for the treatment of IPC in the immunocompetent host. Indications for treatment are not defined, but symptomatic patients, those with multiple nodules or extensive infiltrates on chest radiographs, and/or those testing positive for serum cryptococcal antigen might be potential candidates for therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/73. case reports. Disseminated cryptococcoses without cryptococcal antigen detection.During the last decade cryptococcoses were most frequently diagnosed in AIDS patients, where serologically high amounts of glucoronoxylomannan (GXM) were detectable. Disseminated cryptococcoses without cryptococcal antigen detection is unusual. Between August and October 1998 disseminated cryptococcoses were diagnosed in three patients consecutively although cryptococcal antigen was not detectable. Only one of the patients was hiv infected.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/73. Cryptococcal meningitis: diagnostic value of cryptococcal antigen in cerebrospinal fluid.In three previously reported cases of cryptococcal meningitis, the only laboratory evidence for this diagnosis was the presence of cryptococcal antigen in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Three additional patients had chronic meningitis and repeatedly negative CSF cultures and had cryptococcal antigen demonstrated in the CSF. In our patients, the diagnosis was further supported by the complete recovery after amphotericin b therapy in two and the demonstration of cryptococcus neoformans in the meninges at autopsy in the third. In certain patients with chronic meningitis, the detection of cryptococcal antigen in the CSF may be the only means of establishing a diagnosis during life. In such patients, if cryptococcal antigen is present in the CSF in a titer of larger than or equal to 1:8, antifungal therapy should be initiated, pending results of other diagnostic studies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 8keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/73. The changing face of AIDS-related opportunism: cryptococcosis in the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) era. case reports and literature review.Only nine cases of AIDS-related cryptococcosis have been reported until now in patients receiving highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), all of them with abnormal clinical features. Two hiv-infected patients who experienced an atypical relapse of cryptococcosis shortly after the start of HAART and despite maintenance antifungal treatment, are described. Six different relapses of cryptococcal meningitis were observed in a 28-month period in a patient who obtained a poor immune recovery after HAART (as shown by a CD4 lymphocyte count ranging from 78 to 149 cells/microL, opposed to a baseline level of 98 cells/microL). On the other hand, a patient with favorable immunological response to HAART (as expressed by a CD4 count growing from 7 to 186 cells/microL), experienced isolated multiple indolent cryptococcal abscesses involving head, neck, the anterior thoracic wall, and regional lymph nodes, with repeatedly negative cultures, and diagnosis obtained by both histopathologic study and positive serum antigen assay. Both our case reports are representative of novel correlations between opportunistic pathogens and immune reactivity, descending from the introduction of HAART. The first episode describes an exceedingly elevated number of disease relapses despite HAART and antifungal maintenance treatment, which may descend from an incomplete immune response to antiretroviral therapy, possibly responsible for failure in obtaining eradication of yeasts, but also for lack of disease dissemination (usually leading to a lethal multivisceral involvement in the pre-HAART era). The abnormal disease course and localization of second reported patient well depicts an "immune reconstitution syndrome" probably representing a flare-up of a latent fungal infection, caused by a rapidly effective HAART. In patients treated with HAART, AIDS-related cryptococcosis cannot therefore be ruled out by the absence of neurological involvement, and by persistingly negative cultures.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/73. myositis resulting from disseminated cryptococcosis in a patient with hepatitis c cirrhosis.We report a case of myositis that resulted from disseminated cryptococcosis in a patient with hepatitis c cirrhosis. One year after cessation of treatment, the patient remains symptom free with negative results of serum cryptococcal antigen tests and negative culture results.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/73. Functioning adrenal black adenoma with pulmonary and cutaneous cryptococcosis: a case report and review of English literature.A 53-year-old woman experienced progressive general weakness and lumbago in the 2 years prior to a physical examination which disclosed cushingoid manifestations and a skin ulcer on the back of her right knee joint. Her plasma cortisol concentration ranged from 24.7 to 31.1 microg/dl, with an ACTH level <5 pg/ml. Urinary excretions of 17-hydroxycorticosteroid (17-OHCS) and 17-ketosteroid (17-KS) were 20.5 mg/day and 5.1 mg/day, respectively, and urinary cortisol was also increased (421 microg/day). Cortisol was not suppressed after the administration of 8 mg dexamethasone. Abdominal ultrasound sonography, computed tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies demonstrated a left adrenal tumor and further, a chest X-ray examination showed a cavitary lesion containing a fungus ball-like mass in the left lower lung field. The serum cryptococcal antigen titer was positive at 1:128 and a bronchoalveolar lavage fluid culture yielded a growth of cryptococcus neoformans. A biopsy specimen of the skin ulcer also suggested cryptococcosis. As a result, a left adrenectomy was performed, and the excised specimen was shown to be an adenoma consisting of compact cells with abundant pigmentation (black adenoma). A diagnosis of functioning black adenoma of the adrenal gland, complicated with pulmonary and cutaneous cryptococcosis was made.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/73. Case report. Cutaneous cryptococcosis in a patient with systemic erythematous lupus.The first case of a cutaneous cryptococcosis associated with systemic erythematous lupus (SLE) diagnosed in our mycology Reference Centre is presented: a 24-year-old female patient diagnosed with SLE, nephrotic syndrome, arterial hypertension, renal insufficiency due to glomerulonephritis type IV and cellulitis in the right thigh and gluteus. cryptococcus neoformans was isolated by cutaneous biopsy and haemoculture. Cryptococcal antigen was detected in serum by the latex agglutination test. As the patient did not respond to fluconazol intravenous treatment, amphotericin b administration was performed. She died of acute renal insufficiency.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/73. Case report. recurrence of increased intracranial pressure with antiretroviral therapy in an AIDS patient with cryptococcal meningitis.We present the case of an AIDS patient with cryptococcal meningitis who, after an excellent clinical and mycological response to antifungal therapy, developed an exacerbation of signs and symptoms, including elevated intracranial pressure and an increase in cerebrospinal fluid cryptococcal antigen and white blood cells, following the initiation of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). Cultures yielded no growth and the patient responded to repeated lumbar punctures without changing or intensifying antifungal therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first report of symptomatic elevated intracranial pressure occurring during HAART-related immune recovery in a patient with cryptococcal meningitis. Exacerbation of symptoms does not necessarily reflect mycological failure that requires a change in antifungal therapy, but may relate to acutely increased intracranial pressure that will respond to simple measures, such as repeated lumbar punctures.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = antigen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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