HIV-Associated Cryptococcal Meningitis Patients Treated with Amphotericin B Deoxycholate Plus Flucytosine under Routine Care Conditions in a Referral Center in São Paulo, Brazil.

Abstract

Cryptococcal meningitis remains a common cause of mortality in low- and middle-income countries, where amphotericin B deoxycholate (amphotericin) plus fluconazole is the most common treatment. Flucytosine is almost uniformly absent as is outcome data on flucytosine use in routine care. The main goal of this study was identified the cumulative mortality at 2, 4, and 10weeks after hospital admission. We conducted a retrospective, observational cohort study among HIV-infected adults with cryptococcal meningitis receiving amphotericin plus flucytosine as induction therapy in Brazil. We assessed cumulative mortality at 2, 4, and 10weeks and the cumulative proportion discontinuating amphotericin or flucytosine due to toxicity at 2weeks. We performed multiple logistic regression to identify variables associated with in-hospital mortality. In total, 77 individuals (n = 66 men) were included with median baseline CD4 of 29 (IQR, 9-68) cells/mcL. Twenty (26%) had at least one concurrent neurological disease diagnosed. Sixty (78%) patients received at least 14days of amphotericin plus flucytosine. Cumulative mortality was 5% (4/77) at 2weeks, 8% (6/77) at 4weeks, and 19% (15/77) at 10weeks. Cumulative proportion of patients that discontinuated amphotericin or flucytosine due to toxicity was 20% (16/77) at 2 weeks. In addition, in-hospital mortality was associated with receiving ≤ 10days of induction therapy (odds ratio = 4.5, 95% CI 1.2-17.1, P = 0.028) or positive cerebrospinal fluid fungal culture after 2weeks (odds ratio = 3.8, 95% CI 1.1-13.5, P = 0.035). In this "real-world" study, amphotericin plus flucytosine shows low early mortality of patients with HIV-associated cryptococcal meningitis. Early discontinuation due to adverse events was moderate. More effective and safe antifungals are needed in order to improve the outcome of cryptococcal meningitis.