1. A case-control study of human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients with cryptococcemia and cryptococcal meningitis in a Chinese tertiary care hospital during 10 years
- Author
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Liling Liang, Danyang She, Liangan Chen, and Zhixin Liang
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Medicine (General) ,medicine.medical_specialty ,China ,Antifungal Agents ,030106 microbiology ,Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) ,Meningitis, Cryptococcal ,medicine.disease_cause ,Human immunodeficiency virus negative ,Biochemistry ,Tertiary Care Centers ,03 medical and health sciences ,R5-920 ,0302 clinical medicine ,cryptococcal meningitis ,Internal medicine ,Amphotericin B ,medicine ,Humans ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Retrospective Studies ,Cryptococcemia ,Cryptococcus neoformans ,In hospital mortality ,biology ,human immunodeficiency virus ,business.industry ,Biochemistry (medical) ,Case-control study ,HIV ,Cell Biology ,General Medicine ,Tertiary care hospital ,biology.organism_classification ,amphotericin B ,Case-Control Studies ,business ,Cryptococcal meningitis ,medicine.drug ,Retrospective Clinical Research Report ,in-hospital mortality - Abstract
Objective This study aimed to characterize patients with cryptococcemia and compare the clinical features of cryptococcemia and cryptococcal meningitis. Methods This was a retrospective, case–control study. We retrospectively identified blood cultures with Cryptococcus spp. growth. Controls were hospitalized patients who suffered from cryptococcal meningitis, but did not experience cryptococcemia. Controls and cases were matched by admission date, age, sex, and body weight. Clinical information was analyzed by two independent reviewers. Results Eight patients with cryptococcemia and eight patients with cryptococcal meningitis were included. They were all negative for human immunodeficiency virus. The most common underlying disease was primary nephrotic syndrome. All patients presented with fever. The incidence of headache, nausea/vomiting, seizures, and cough/expectoration was significantly lower in patients with cryptococcemia than in those with cryptococcal meningitis. All clinical strains of Cryptococcus, except for one, were sensitive to fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B, and flucytosine in vitro. The rate of receiving an amphotericin B-containing regimen was significantly higher in patients with cryptococcal meningitis than in those with cryptococcemia. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in cryptococcemia cases compared with cryptococcal meningitis cases. Conclusion Cryptococcemia is an unusual infection characterized by a high mortality. Cryptococcemia requires early identification and prompt antifungal therapy.
- Published
- 2021