Cryptococcus neoformansvar.gattiimeningitis in an Australian patient with AIDS

Abstract

Infection with Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common non-viral opportunistic infection of the central nervous system in patients with AIDS. The most common clinical manifestation is meningitis but infection at other sites is frequent. Cryptococcosis in AIDS patients is almost exclusively due to C. neoformans var. neoformans. Infection with C. neoformans var. gattii has been reported only rarely despite the fact that it is widely endemic in Australia and several other tropical and temperate parts of the world. We report here the first case of C. neoformans var. gattii meningitis described in an Australian AIDS patient. The infecting strain was typed as serotype B, the serotype of C. neoformans var. gattii previously reported from AIDS patients. The clinical and laboratory findings and the course of the illness were similar to those reported for AIDS patients infected with C. neoformans var. neoformans.