Cryptococcal meningitis: complications due to intrathecal treatment.
A 50-year-old woman with cryptococcal meningitis was treated with amphotericin B intrathecally through a Rickham reservoir and intravenously, together with flucytosine orally. After 4 months of treatment cryptococci and cryptococcal antigen were still present in cerebrospinal fluid from time to time. After removal of the Rickham reservoir the patient recovered completely within 6 weeks. The persistent infection was thus found to be due to the presence of the Rickham reservoir, a complication to intrathecal therapy which has not been reported before.
D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002404:Catheterization; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D008581:Meningitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence
D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine