title: Disseminated cryptococcosis in an AIDS patient with unusual clinical presentation.
abstract: Disseminated cryptocococcosis is a rare and often fatal disease. Here in we report an unusual fatal case of disseminated cryptococcosis. The patient presented with a past history of postmenopausal bleeding with loss of consciousness, altered mental status, few seizures and a low grade fever. Lumbar puncture revealed elevated pressure, lymphocytic pleocytosis, elevated protein and markedly reduced glucose level. Cryptococcus neoformans was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid and blood. Serological assay revealed the presence of human immunodeficiency virus. The patient was treated with antifungal agents intravenously without any signs of improvement and the patient passed away after two weeks of therapy. This is the first case report of disseminated cryptococcosis in an AIDS patient suffering from cryptoccoccal vaginitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Sur Hospital, Ministry of Health, Oman. somansu@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Somansu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Basu
authors.forename: Puneet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.forename: Sajid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ansari
authors.forename: Sumaya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salem Al-Arimi
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000150:complications*; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000150:complications*; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D014627:Vaginitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000382:microbiology*