[Cryptococosis: clinical epidemiological laboratorial study and fungi varieties in 96 patients].
Ninety-six patients with cryptococcosis confirmed by clinical and laboratorial diagnosis were assessed in a prospective study in a University Hospital from March 1998 to November 2003; of these, 81.3% were HIV seropositive patients. Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated from different samples, of which the cerebrospinal fluid 74 (77%) was the most frequent. C. neoformans var neoformans was isolated in 89 cases, where as C. neoformans var gattii was isolated in 7. Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis was detected in 56.3% cases. It was the most frequent unique clinical manifestation and the fungus was detected in the bloodstream in 13.5% of the patients. Among the risk factors, AIDS (81.3%) was the most frequently associated with mycosis. Direct examination carried out on 121 samples revealed the microorganism in 98.3% of them, while the culture was positive for all samples. Most of the patients (59.4%) were treated with amphotericin B or with triazoles, however 72.9% of them ended in death, in particular those patients with positive tests for the HIV (62.5%). Nowadays, cryptococcosis has been frequently diagnosed in our region and represents one of the opportunistic diseases with the highest morbidity and mortality rates in patients with AIDS.
Moreira
Tomaz de Aquino
Tde A
Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, 38400-064 Uberlândia, MG, Brazil.
Ferreira
Marcelo Simão
MS
Ribas
Rosineide Marques
RM
Borges
Aércio Sebastião
AS
D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000145:classification*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution
D000935:Antifungal Agents