Cryptococcal meningitis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection: report of three cases

Although cryptococcus is an infrequent pathogen in patients without AIDS, it is known to be a major cause of meningitis in those with the disease. In recent times, the incidence of cryptococcal meningitis in patients infected with HIV has increased worldwide mainly because of the increased awareness by both the physicians and clinical microbiologists. We report here three cases of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV patients treated at the Port-of Spain General Hospital in one year. The clinical manifestations in these patients included prolonged and severe headache, neck stiffness and blurring of vision. The patients were treated with amphotericin B. Two patients died a few days after receiving the drug while one patient survived. We suggest that any HIV patient with prolonged headache should be promptly investigated for cryptococcal meningitis. African Journal of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology Vol. 6 (3) 2005: 257-260