title: [Factors associated with mortality in cryptococcal meningitis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate factors associated with mortality in non-AIDS patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 154 cases of non-HIV cryptococcal meningitis in a tertiary care hospital in China, from 1997 through 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1-year attributable mortality was 19.6% (28/143), and overall mortality was 28.7% (41/143). Advanced age (> or = 60 years), delay in diagnosis (> 4 months), hematologic malignancy, solid malignancy, altered mental status (coma, seizure, herniation), and CSF drainage or shunting were factors associated with increased death; factors associated with increased survival were amphotericin B based initial therapy and flucytosine containing therapy. In multivariate analysis, age > or = 60 years, the time from symptom onset to diagnosis > 4 months, coma, cerebral herniation, and non-amphotericin B based initial therapy were independently associated with increased overall mortality; factors independently associated with cause-specific mortality were time from symptom onset to diagnosis > 4 months, cerebral herniation and non-amphotericin B based initial therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A variety of factors were associated with mortality in non-AIDS cryptococcal meningitis. Amphotericin B based initial treatment was independently correlated to improved 1-year survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
authors.forename: Ji-qin
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xue-ting
authors.initials: XT
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.forename: Li-ping
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Xin-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult