title: Corticosteroid-induced cryptococcal meningitis in patient without HIV.
abstract: Cryptococcus neoformans is the most frequent cause of fungal meningitis in humans. Cryptococcus affects people of all ages and has a worldwide distribution. It is the fourth most common infection in AIDS (CD4 counts <100/mm3). Cases also occur in patients with other forms of immunosuppression and in apparently immunocompetent individuals. Chronic high-dose steroid may precipitate such an immunocompromised state and thus create susceptibility to fungal infections. In our case, we describe a 14-year-old boy who was on steroids for tubercular meningitis for a period of 8 weeks after which he developed cryptococcal meningitis. Attention is drawn to the increasing number of reported cases of this disease which have been associated with steroid therapy and this possibility should be remembered when investigating patients with tubercular meningitis especially if they are being treated with steroids.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Anand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nidhi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.|India.
authors.forename: Alpana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meena
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Arjun
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sreekumar
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: Mradul Kumar
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Daga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018023:HIV Seronegativity; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D016919:Meningitis, Cryptococcal / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D014391:Tuberculosis, Miliary / Q000175:diagnosis
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone