CRYPTOCOCCAL MENINGITIS IN IMMUNOCOMPETENT PATIENT

Authors

  • Saeed Arif CMH LAHORE MEDICAL COLLEGE
  • Khushbakht Ghazanfar CMH Hospital Lahore
  • Waseem Wali Muhammad Military hospital rawalpindi
  • Hamza Malik CMH edical College, Lahore

Abstract

Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is life threatening fungal infection of central nervous system (CNS). Although it is commonly associated with immunosuppression but rarely it can occur in immune competent patient. We report a case of 21 year old non HIV infected girl. Based on initial diagnoses of tuberculosis Bacillus meningitis (TBM), she was started on anti-tuberculosis treatment (ATT). However failure to respond to treatment prompted a quest for alternative diagnosis. A final Diagnosis of CM was confirmed on latex agglutination antigen detection on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis. The patient responded well to antifungal treatment. Initially diagnosis was missed due to common occurrence of tuberculosis infection in Pakistan and resemblance of its symptomatology and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings with CNS cryptoccocal infection.

Author Biographies

Saeed Arif, CMH LAHORE MEDICAL COLLEGE

Resident, Department of medicine, CMH LAHORE MEDICAL  COLLEGE

Waseem Wali Muhammad, Military hospital rawalpindi

Department of Neurology

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Published

2015-12-15