Dexamethasone in Cryptococcus gattii central nervous system infection.

Phillips, Peter; Chapman, Kristine; Sharp, Madeleine; Harrison, Phil; Vortel, Jerry; Steiner, Theodore; Bowie, William · Clin Infect Dis · 2009

case_series · Level IV

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Abstract

Clinical outcomes were reviewed for 4 patients with Cryptococcus gattii central nervous system infection who received dexamethasone for the treatment of persisting mental status abnormalities and focal lesions on brain scan despite culture-negative cerebrospinal fluid and the management of intracranial pressure. Favorable clinical responses were observed in 3 patients. Although corticosteroids are not recommended for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis, these observations suggest that dexamethasone should be further evaluated in this subset of patients.

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