Linked Life Data

19359826

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/19359826

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
1
pubmed:dateCreated
2009-4-10
pubmed:abstractText
Cryptococcus neoformans is a ubiquitous fungal pathogen which causes human disease ranging from asymptomatic colonization of the lungs, to severe pneumonia, mediastinitis, meningitis or generalized infection. Although cryptococcal infection shows notably opportunistic features, it is sometimes also found among apparently immunocompetent individuals, with an extremely adverse outcome in the case of SNC involvement. Therefore, when faced with a presumed healthy person with anamnestic, clinical, CSF and instrumental findings consistent with chronic meningitis/meningoencephalitis, we must also consider cryptococcosis as a possible cause of disease. This may be rapidly achieved by resorting to quite a simple serological test, namely cryptococcal antigen detection. We describe two cases of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis occurring among apparently immunocompetent subjects (both HIV-negative, not under corticosteroid or immunosuppressive regimen, nor undergoing chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Laboratory diagnostics revealed the existence of reasonable immunological deficit for both subjects. Unfortunately, we were unable to establish whether the alterations in question were preexisting or concomitant with fungal infection. Our patients' course was somewhat problematic, according to findings observed in broader-based studies: this could mostly be explained by the considerable diagnostic delay which often marks cryptococcal infections of immunocompetent individuals. Nevertheless, neither of these two cases were complicated by intracranial pressure increase, leading us to speculate whether this disease may occur less frequently under conditions of substantial immunological integrity.
pubmed:language
ita
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Mar
pubmed:issn
1124-9390
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
17
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
41-5
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2009
pubmed:articleTitle
[Cryptococcus neoformans meningoencephalitis among apparently immunocompetent patients: description of two cases].
pubmed:affiliation
U.O. di Malattie Infettive, Ospedale Ca Foncello di Treviso, Italy.
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, English Abstract, Case Reports