Learn About Cryptococcal Meningitis
Cryptococcal meningitis is a fungal infection of the tissues covering the brain and spinal cord. These tissues are called meninges.
Cryptococcal meningitis
In most cases, cryptococcal meningitis is caused by the fungus Cryptococcus neoformans. This fungus is found in soil around the world. Cryptococcus gattii can also cause meningitis, but this form can cause disease in people with a normal immune system as well.
This type of meningitis is not spread from person to person. Usually, it spreads through the bloodstream to the brain from another place in the body that has the initial infection.
Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis most often affects people with a weakened immune system, including people with:
- AIDS
- Cirrhosis (a type of liver disease)
- Diabetes
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Sarcoidosis
- An organ transplant
Cryptococcus neoformans meningitis is rare in people who have a normal immune system and no long-term health problems.
This form of meningitis starts slowly, over a few days to a few weeks. Symptoms may include:
- Fever
- Hallucinations
- Headache
- Mental status change (confusion)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Sensitivity to light
- Stiff neck
Antifungal medicines are used to treat this form of meningitis. Intravenous (IV, through a vein) therapy with amphotericin B is the most common treatment. It is often combined with an oral antifungal medicine called 5-flucytosine.
Another oral medicine, fluconazole, may also be effective in high doses. If needed, it will be prescribed later in the disease course.
David Lawrence practices in London, United Kingdom. Mr. Lawrence is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Cryptococcal Meningitis. His top areas of expertise are Cryptococcal Meningitis, Cryptococcosis, Meningitis, Endoscopy, and Heart Bypass Surgery.
William Hope practices in Manchester, United Kingdom. Mr. Hope is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Cryptococcal Meningitis. His top areas of expertise are Aspergillosis, Cryptococcal Meningitis, Cryptococcosis, Meningitis, and Endoscopy.
David Meya practices in Makerere, Uganda. Mr. Meya is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Cryptococcal Meningitis. His top areas of expertise are Cryptococcosis, Cryptococcal Meningitis, Meningitis, and Tuberculous Meningitis.
People who recover from cryptococcal meningitis need long-term medicine to prevent the infection from coming back. People with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV/AIDS, will also need long-term treatment to improve their immune system.
These complications may occur from this infection:
- Brain damage
- Hearing or vision loss
- Hydrocephalus (excessive CSF in the brain)
- Seizures
- Death
Amphotericin B can have side effects such as:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fever and chills
- Joint and muscles aches
- Kidney damage
Call 911 or the local emergency number if you develop any of the serious symptoms listed above. Meningitis can quickly become a life-threatening illness.
Call the local emergency number or go to an emergency room if you suspect meningitis in a young child who has these symptoms:
- Feeding difficulties
- High-pitched cry
- Irritability
- Persistent, unexplained fever
Background: * Idiopathic CD4+ lymphocytopenia (ICL) is a condition in which there is a decreased level of CD4+ lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell), which can lead to opportunistic infections or autoimmune disorders and diseases.
Summary: The protocol will be carried out in accordance with International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and the following United States Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) applicable to clinical studies: 45 CFR Part 46, 21 CFR Part 50, 21 CFR Part 56, 21 CFR Part 312, and/or 21 CFR Part 812. NIH-funded investigators a...
Published Date: November 10, 2024
Published By: Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Roy and Diana Vagelos Professor in Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, New York, NY. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Meningitis. About fugal meningitis. www.cdc.gov/meningitis/about/fungal-meningitis.html. Updated January 7, 2025. Accessed March 13, 2025.
Chen SC-A. Cryptococcosis. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 309.
Perfect JR. Cryptococcosis (Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii). In: Bennett JE, Dolin R, Blaser MJ, eds. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 262.