Table 1.
Historical, examination, and laboratory findings in patients with cryptococcal meningitis.
| Cryptococcal meningitis (n = 40) | Other (n = 109) | P | |
| Age (median, range) | 41 (14–65) | 37 (13–64) | NS |
| Female sex | 45% (18) | 45% (49) | NS |
| History | |||
| Subjective fever | 83% (33) | 62% (68) | NS |
| Subjective wt loss | 65% (26) | 53% (58) | NS |
| Confusion | 73% (29) | 45% (49) | 0.003 |
| Vomiting | 48% (19) | 31% (34) | NS |
| Social withdrawal | 43%(17) | 18% (20) | 0.004 |
| Seizures | 35% (14) | 19% (21) | 0.05 |
| On antiretroviral therapy | 18% (7) | 24% (26) | NS |
| Physical examination | |||
| Febrile (T >38.0°C) | 73% (29) | 47% (51) | 0.006 |
| Hypertensive (>140/90 mm Hg) | 18% (7) | 14% (15) | NS |
| Tachycardia | 60% (24) | 39% (42) | 0.03 |
| Meningismus | 43% (18) | 23% (28) | 0.02 |
| Oral thrush | 48% (19) | 24% (26) | 0.008 |
| Temporal wasting | 50% (20) | 35% (38) | NS |
| Abnormal GCS (≤ 14) | 73% (29) | 29% (32) | <0.0001 |
| Coma (GCS ≤ 8) | 50% (20) | 16% (17) | <0.0001 |
| Median GCS | 8.5 | 15 | <0.0001 |
| Laboratory | |||
| Leukocytes × 103/μl (median) | 6.4 ± 7.1 (5.4) | 6.1 ± 5.6 (6)* | NS |
| Lymphocytes × 103/μl (median) | 2.0 ± 1.3 (1.7) | 1.9 ± 1.2 (2.0) | NS |
| CD4 count/μl (median) | 49.5 ± 45.2 (39) | 190.0 ± 216.4 (89) | <0.0001 |
| CD4 < 100/μl | 93% (37) | 51% (56) | <0.0001 |
| Haemoglobin g/dl (median) | 23.2 ± 29.1 (11.1) | 17.9 ± 20.6 (12)* | NS |
| Platelets × 103/μl (median) | 161 ± 88 (141) | 179 ± 104 (163) | NS |
| ESR (median) | 87 ± 40 (93) | 74 ± 39 (75) | NS |
| CSF† | |||
| Pleocytosis % > 2/μl (n) | 50% (20) | 38% (41) | NS |
| Leukocytes (#/μl)† | 63 ± 90 | 14 ± 23 | 0.03 |
| Lymphocytes‡ (%) | 53 ± 40 | 37 ± 34 | NS |
| Neutrophils‡ (%) | 47 ± 40 | 60 ± 34 | NS |
| CSF protein (g/L)† | 1.2 ± 2.3 | 0.7 ± 0.7 | NS |
| CSF glucose (mmol/L)† | 2.4 ± 1.3 | 3.0 ± 1.2 | NS |
| CSF opening pressure (mmHg) | 14.2 ± 10.6 | 9.8 ± 8.6 | 0.02 |
| Outcome | |||
| Survival to discharge | 50% (20) | 80% (87) | 0.0008 |
Data shown are mean ± SD unless otherwise specified.
* no haemoglobin or leukocyte data from 1 other patient
† CSF cell counts, protein, glucose, and opening pressure results compare CM and only those other patients with meningitis, defined as CSF pleocytosis > 2/ml.
‡ CSF differential data available only from 12 CM and 11 non-CM patients.