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[Cryptococosis: clinical epidemiological laboratorial study and fungi varieties in 96 patients]

[Cryptococosis: clinical epidemiological laboratorial study and fungi varieties in 96 patients]

Authors :
Tomaz de Aquino, Moreira
Marcelo Simão, Ferreira
Rosineide Marques, Ribas
Aércio Sebastião, Borges
Source :
Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical. 39(3)
Publication Year :
2004

Abstract

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.

Details

ISSN :
00378682
Volume :
39
Issue :
3
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
Accession number :
edsair.pmid..........6622f7e69d4d771bca85ea8ed70caf39