Cryptococcosis in Denmark: An Analysis of 28 Cases in 1988–1993

Abstract

A total number of 31 events of systemic cryptococcal infection in 28 patients was identified in a nation-wide survey over 6 years, from 1988 to the end of 1993. All medical records were reviewed. 24 of the patients were HIV-infected. Meningitis was diagnosed in 25 patients, and fungemia in 8 patients. The most frequent symptom was headache followed by fever. The median duration in days of fever, headache, and other neurological signs/symptoms before diagnosis was 12, 8 and 2 days, respectively, and, after diagnosis and start of treatments 7, 11 and 12 days, respectively. There was a significant correlation between the duration of headache and the duration of neurological signs/symptoms but not between headache and fever. More than 50% of the patients died within 5 months after the diagnosis. In 39% of the cases, the patients were orally treated with various antifungal drugs before the diagnosis. The rate of cryptococcosis (cumulative) in Danish AIDS patients was estimated to be 1.7%. The HIV-positive patients were, at the time of the cryptococcal diseases, profoundly immunocompromised, with a median CD4⁺ cell count of 18 (range: 0–78)/μl. From 24 patients at least 1 isolate of Cryptococcus neoformans was typed, all being var. neoformans, identical with serotype A/D.