Cryptococcus meningitis presented with multiple cerebral infarcts in an immunocompetent patient

Buket Erturk Sengel; Elif Tukenmez Tigen; Rabia Can Sarinoglu; Ipek Midi; Nilgun Cerikcioglu; Zekaver Odabasi

doi:10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01154

Cryptococcus meningitis presented with multiple cerebral infarcts in an immunocompetent patient

IDCases. 2021 May 7:24:e01154. doi: 10.1016/j.idcr.2021.e01154. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Buket Erturk Sengel¹, Elif Tukenmez Tigen¹, Rabia Can Sarinoglu², Ipek Midi³, Nilgun Cerikcioglu², Zekaver Odabasi¹

Affiliations

¹ Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, Infectious Disease and Clinical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey.
² Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Microbiology, Istanbul, Turkey.
³ Marmara University, Faculty of Medicine, Neurology, Istanbul, Turkey.

Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans is generally observed with immunosuppressive conditions. Rarely, it may be seen in immunocompetent individuals and presented with non-specific conditions. We described an immunocompetent case of cryptococcal meningitis presented with multiple cerebral infarcts. Despite the late diagnosis and emergence of hydrocephalus during treatment, the patient was recovered without any sequelae. In immunocompetent patients, the conventional diagnostics tests may be negative because of the low fungal load. If it is available, the Biofire FilmArray meningitis panel has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosis.

Keywords: Cerebral infarct; Cryptococcus neoformans; Film array; Hydrocephalus.

Publication types

Case Reports