Background and Objectives Cryptococcal meningitis is one of the main opportunistic infections associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Despite the present and increasingly availability of specific treatment for cryptococcosis, the mortality rate of this infection is still high, particularly in patients with advanced immunsupression and advanced cryptococcal diseases. Mate...

No studies have evaluated the efficacy of culturing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for fungi. Because of the facts that the most common fungi responsible for meningitis grow well in media utilized for routine bacterial cultures and that cryptococcal antigen tests are commonly ordered, the efficacy of routinely performing fungal cultures specifically to recover fungi has been questioned. We examined ...

Background.  Cryptococcal meningitis is a leading cause of death in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immune deficiency syndrome. The World Health Organizations recommends pre-antiretroviral treatment (ART) cryptococcal antigen (CRAG) screening in persons with CD4 below 100 cells/µL. We assessed the prevalence and outcome of cryptococcal antigenemia in rural souther...

An enzymatic method involving a protease (pronase) for the elimination of interference factors in the latex test for cryptococcal antigen was developed and compared with dithiothreitol treatment. The two were equivalent in their ability to remove interference factors; however, the enzymatic method generally yielded higher titers. The method is simple, requires only 20 min, and makes the latex t...

A total of 52 residual CSF and serum specimens, which were originally negative with the Cryptococcal Antigen Latex Agglutination System (CALAS), were shown to become falsely positive after placement in BBL Port-A-Cul anaerobic transport vials. This transport device, although excellent for specimen transportation for subsequent culture, should not be used if cryptococcal antigen testing is needed.

The PREMIER Cryptococcal Antigen Enzyme Immunoassay (Meridian Diagnostics) did not give discrepant results with rheumatoid factor, syneresis fluid, or serum macroglobulins from systemic lupus erythematosis patients. The Cryptococcal Antigen Latex Agglutination System (Meridian Diagnostics) did cross-react with syneresis fluid but not with the other serum factors tested.

Detection of cryptococcal antigen in serum or cerebrospinal fluid allows cryptococcal meningitis diagnosis within few hours with >90% sensitivity. In an HIV-positive patient with Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis, initial antigen detection by immunoagglutination was negative. We thus evaluated a new immunochromatographic detection assay that exhibited a higher sensitivity.

INTRODUCTION Isolated cryptococcal pneumonia in the immunocompetent host is a rare infection. Indications for treatment and its duration are currently not defined. CLINICAL PICTURE Three patients presented with cavitating cryptococcal pneumonia. TREATMENT They were treated with oral fluconazole. OUTCOME Improvement was evident clinically, radiologically and serologically. Fluconazole was ...

Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common cause of life threatening meningoencephalitis in HIV-infected patients. Diagnosis is based on tests for cryptoccocal antigen in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, and on culture of the organism. We present a case of AIDS-related cryptococcal meningoencephalitis unresponsive to antifungal combination therapy, despite of evidence of fungal susceptibility in ...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value cryptococcal antigen-lateral flow immunochromatographic assay (CrAg-LFA) in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC). Methods: A total 308 were divided into PC group (n = 72) and non-PC 236). clinical data, pathogen detection, radiological imaging, detection antigen blood BALF sample...