Chronic neutrophilic meningitis caused by Candida albicans

Neurologia. 1998 Aug-Sep;13(7):362-6.

Abstract

Meningitis caused by Candida albicans is a very infrequent entity. We present 3 intravenous drug users with chronic neutrophilic meningitis caused by Candida albicans. The clinical, microbiological and radiological features of the 3 patients are reviewed. The interval between the onset of the disease and the diagnosis was long (from 4 to 12 months). Candida albicans was cultured from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the 3 patients. All of them developed hydrocephalus, meanwhile arachnoiditis was disclosed in two. The therapy with amphotericyn, 5-flucytosine and fluconazole produced clinical improvement and the sterilisation of the CSF in all the 3 cases. Clinicians should be aware of this entity because of diagnosis may be delayed in several months.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Candida albicans / isolation & purification*
  • Candidiasis, Chronic Mucocutaneous* / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Chronic Disease
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Meningitis / cerebrospinal fluid
  • Meningitis / epidemiology
  • Meningitis / microbiology*
  • Neutrophils / microbiology*
  • Spain / epidemiology