Puerperal brain cryptococcoma in an HIV-negative woman successfully treated with fluconazole: a case report

Cryptococcus spp. cerebral abscesses are uncommon in immunocompetent subjects. The recommended induction treatment is the administration of amphotericin B plus flucytosine combined with resection for lesions ≥3cm. In this paper, we describe an HIV-negative woman diagnosed with a large cryptococcoma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical
Main Authors: José Edward Hagan, Jesângeli Sousa Dias, José Caetano Villasboas-Bisneto, Melissa Barreto Falcão, Albert Icksang Ko, Guilherme Sousa Ribeiro
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical (SBMT) 2014
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1590/0037-8682-0215-2013
https://doaj.org/article/00de26e77d7440869a760da08930125a
Description
Summary:Cryptococcus spp. cerebral abscesses are uncommon in immunocompetent subjects. The recommended induction treatment is the administration of amphotericin B plus flucytosine combined with resection for lesions ≥3cm. In this paper, we describe an HIV-negative woman diagnosed with a large cryptococcoma in the immediate postpartum period. The lesion was not resected, and due to amphotericin B intolerance, she received an extended course of fluconazole monotherapy. There was no disease recurrence during the 4 years of follow-up. The abrupt onset of her symptoms following delivery suggests that she developed a postpartum immune reconstitution syndrome. This case also demonstrates that in specific situations fluconazole monotherapy can be attempted in immunocompetent patients with cryptococcoma.