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Meningitis - cryptococcal - Symptom

Alternative Names

Cryptococcal meningitis

Symptoms:

Fever
Hallucinations
Headache
Mental status change
Nausea and vomiting
Sensitivity to light (photophobia)
Stiff neck

Signs and tests:

In order to diagnose cryptococcal meningitis, a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) must be performed. This test involves taking a sample of fluid from the spinal column (called cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). The following tests on the CSF allow the health care provider to diagnose cryptococcal meningitis:

CSF culture
CSF stains
CSF test for cryptococcus antigen
Serum cryptococcal antigen blood test

If you are diagnosed with cryptococcal meningitis, your doctor will also recommend:

Central nervous system

Reviewed last on: 9/28/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Kauffman CA. Cryptococcosis. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 357.

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