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CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS INFECTION

Nervous System Diseases / By

CRYPTOCOCCUS NEOFORMANS INFECTION

Cryptococcus neoformans infection is a fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans.

  • Cryptococcus neoformans is a fungus that lives in the environment throughout the world.
  • The fungus is mostly found in soil, on decaying wood, in bird droppings particularly those of pigeons.
  • Cryptococcus neoformans infection usually affects the lungs, the central nervous system, but can also involve other parts of the body.
  • Cryptococcus neoformans affect healthy people as well as people with a weakened immune system, although those with weakened immune system may develop complications such as meningitis (the inflammation of the membrane protecting the brain and the spinal cord), and the infection may spread to other parts of the body including the skin.
  • The infection is rare in people who are healthy; most cases occur in people with a weakened immune system.
  • The infection of the fungus in the brain can be fatal if left untreated.
  • If cryptococcal meningitis occurs, the mortality rate is between 10-30%

CAUSES

People can become infected with Cryptococcus neoformans after breathing in microscopic fungus from the environment. It then travels through the airway and enters the lungs. After infecting the lungs, the fungus can travel through the bloodstream to infect other areas of the body, such as the central nervous system.

The condition is not contagious and can’t spread between people or between people and animals

Risk factors may include

  • Weakened immune system as seen in people with HIV/AIDS, people undergoing cancer treatment, or using immune-suppressing medications.

SYMPTOMS

Symptoms may depend on the parts of the body affected

In the lungs, symptoms may include:

  • Prolonged cough, lasting weeks or months
  • Shortness of breath
  • Fever
  • Chest pain

In the brain, symptoms may include;

  • Fever
  • Neck pain
  • Sensitivity to light
  • Headache
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Confusion or changes in behavior
  • Dizziness
  • Blurred vision

DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT

To make diagnosis, the doctor will review your medical history, travel history, ask questions about your symptoms, carry out a physical examination and laboratory tests.

A sample of your tissue or body fluid (blood, sputum, and cerebrospinal fluid) will be sent to the lab to be examined under a microscope, tested with an antigen test, or cultured.

Imaging tests such as Chest X-ray or CT scan of your lungs and brain or other parts of your body will be carried out.

TREATMENT

Treatment option depend on the severity of your condition.

Prescribed anti-fungal medication is the best option for treatment. This may be taken for at least 6 months or often longer.

For people with mild-to-moderate pulmonary infection or with asymptomatic infections, fluconazole is the best treatment option

For people with severe lung infections or infections in the central nervous system, treatment is amphotericin B in combination with flucytosine.