Table 1.
The clinical characteristics and laboratory data of the 99 adults with cryptococcal meningitis
| Non-elderly group (n = 61) | Elderly group (n = 38) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | |||
| Male | 48 | 16 | < 0.001 |
| Female | 13 | 22 | |
| Mortality at discharge | 19 | 14 | 0.597 |
| Underlying disease | |||
| AIDS | 11 | 1 | 0.026 |
| Diabetes mellitus | 8 | 15 | 0.003 |
| Liver cirrhosis | 6 | 3 | 1.000 |
| Hematologic disorders | 7 | 5 | 1.000 |
| Autoimmune disorders | 7 | 3 | 0.737 |
| Malignancy | 3 | 6 | 0.083 |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 0 | 5 | 0.007 |
| Adrenal insufficiency | 1 | 7 | 0.005 |
| Organ transplantation | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
| Immunocompromised state | 26 | 17 | 0.837 |
| Initial presentation | |||
| Headache | 48 | 17 | 0.001 |
| Altered consciousness | 20 | 29 | < 0.001 |
| Fever | 39 | 21 | 0.390 |
| Seizure | 9 | 6 | 0.889 |
| Visual disturbance | 15 | 1 | 0.004 |
| Hearing impairment | 5 | 1 | 0.402 |
| Cerebrospinal fluid data | |||
| White blood cell count (109/L) | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.022 |
| Glucose (mmol/L) | 2.18 | 2.92 | 0.153 |
| Protein (g/L) | 1.50 | 2.54 | 0.186 |
| Lactate (mmol/L) | 5.25 | 5.35 | 0.896 |
| Positive India ink stain | 22 | 9 | 0.113 |
| Cryptococcal Ag titer (≥1:1024) | 26 | 12 | 0.163 |
| Positive culture result | 51 | 26 | 0.004 |
| Serum cryptococcal Ag titer (≥1:1024) | 22 | 12 | 0.766 |
| Cryptococcemia | 21 | 9 | 0.258 |
| Extraneural involvement | 5 | 5 | 0.501 |
| Neuroimaging findings | |||
| Basal meningeal enhancement | 22 | 12 | 0.584 |
| Pseudocyst/VR space dilatation | 18 | 14 | 0.394 |
| Hydrocephalus | 18 | 15 | 0.263 |
| Recent cerebral infarction | 3 | 11 | 0.001 |
| Cryptococcoma | 5 | 1 | 0.404 |
AIDS acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, Ag antigen, VR Virchow-Robin