title: Cryptococcal meningitis: outcome in patients with AIDS and patients with neoplastic disease.
abstract: A retrospective analysis of 41 patients with cryptococcal meningitis and AIDS or neoplastic disease was done. Patients with AIDS were younger and predominantly male; they had a shorter duration of prior illness, higher initial serum cryptococcal antigen titers, and lower initial cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell counts than those with neoplastic disease. The median overall survival for patients with AIDS was 9 months compared with 2 months for those with neoplastic disease (P = .004). Seventy-eight percent of patients with AIDS and 43% of those with neoplastic disease were cured or improved 6 months after diagnosis (P = .039). Toxicity from amphotericin B and flucytosine was similar for both groups. One patient with AIDS relapsed. Multivariate predictors of survival included headache (P = .007) and an AIDS diagnosis (P = .009). Examination of outcomes for other opportunistic infections associated with AIDS and other immunosuppressive illness may distinguish prognostic features for different patient populations.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Disease Services, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cirrincione
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Blevins
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Armstrong
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine