title: [Cryptococosis and HIV/AIDS: a review of 21 cases reported in the Tropical Diseases Centre, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam)].
abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans affections during HIV-infection are frequent and serious. The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiological, clinical, biological and therapeutic characteristics of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-positive patients, admitted into the Center for Tropical Diseases Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), during a 5-month period (May-September 2001). Twenty-one patients (20 men and one woman) were included (identification of C. neoformans from the cerebrospinal fluid). The mean age was 28 years. The majority of patients had been living in Ho Chi Minh City (48%). The use of drugs and unprotected sexual relations were the principal risk factors of HIV-infection. The paucity and the confusion of clinical signs and symptoms, along with a high frequency of meningitis have been analysed. Clinical presentation features included: headache (95%), emaciation (90%), oro-pharyngeal candidiasis (90%), stiff neck (80%), nausea/vomiting (70%), fever (67%), coughing (38%), diarrhoea (33%), skin lesions (5%), convulsion (5%), photophobia (5%), and hemiparesis (5%). The severity of the prognosis was mainly linked to the delay before hospitalization, to the possible association with other opportunistic infections, and to the availability of appropriate treatment.
authors.affiliation: Centre des maladies tropicales, Hô Chi Minh-ville, Vietnam. tuyet@postmark.net
authors.forename: Thi Xuan Tuyet
authors.initials: TX
authors.lastname: Huynh
authors.forename: Huu Chi
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Minh Quang
authors.initials: MQ
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Odermatt-Biays
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Degrémont
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Malvy
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D000328:Adult; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014330:Tropical Medicine; D014744:Vietnam