Introduction: neurocryptococcosis resultsfrom inhalation of yeasts from the Cryptococcus neoformans species complex.The disease mainly affects immunocompromised patients, causing high mortalityrates.
Objective: describe infection due to Cryptococcus spp. in patients withHIV/AIDS from Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Methods: a descriptive cross-sectional prospective study was conductedfrom December 2013 to January 2015. Eighty-two cerebrospinal fluid samples werecollected, as well as the demographic, clinical and laboratory data of an equalnumber of HIV seropositive inpatients from Dr. José Daniel RodríguezMaridueña infectious diseases hospital. Cryptococcal infection was confirmedby India ink direct microscopic examination of cerebrospinal fluid, Sabouraudagar culture and conventional biochemical tests. The study met the ethical requirementsestablished.
Results: 89.02 % of the patients included in the study were male and45.12 % were in the 20-30 years age group. 33 % had infection with C. neoformans,and their most common clinical features were diagnostic impression of neuroinfection(41 %), headache (78 %; 21/27), vomiting (85 %; 23/27), weight loss (89 %; 24/27);CD4 counts < 200/uL (26 %; 7/27), leucocytes 5 000-10 000 cells/mm3 (63 %;17/27), hemoglobin 11-15 g/dL (44 %; 12/27) and hematocrit < 35 % (78 %;21/27). An association was also found between infection and the presence ofvomiting, weight loss and adenopathies (prevalence ratio >1).
Conclusions: cryptococcal infection is an important opportunistic mycosisin HIV/AIDS patients. It may be associated with certain features, which makesit possible to define control and prevention mechanisms.
