Clinical manifestations of AIDS with cryptococcal meningitis.
Parole chiave
Astratto
OBJECTIVE
To increase the awareness of AIDS with cryptococcal meningitis.
METHODS
Eighteen cases of confirmed AIDS with cryptococcal meningitis in the Bata Regional Hospital, Equatorial Guinea from January 1997 to November 1999 were analyzed.
RESULTS
The clinical manifestations of the 18 cases were: insidious onset, fever, severe headache, generalized pain, nausea and vomiting, weight loss and dehydration, and enlarged cervical lymph nodes. Boa's and Cullen's signs were positive. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) India ink stain and the polysaccharide capsule antigen (ELISA) were 77.8% and 99.4%, respectively. The positive rate of CSF culture of cryptococcus was 100%. The mortality rate was 83.3%.
CONCLUSIONS
Cryptococcal meningitis is the most common opportunistic infection and one of the major causes of deaths in AIDS patients. The misdiagnosis and mortality rates were very high and could be explained by a lack of awareness for the occurrence of AIDS with cryptococcal meningitis, late presentation, serious illness and severe complications, and delayed and inadequate therapy.
