Triple therapy combined with ventriculoperitoneal shunts can improve neurological function and shorten hospitalization time in non-HIV cryptococcal meningitis patients with increased intracranial pressure

Table 1 Baseline patient characteristics

Variables	Group I (AmB+ Fluconazole	Group II (AmB+ Fluconazole	P-value
Variables	+ 5-FC,n = 27)	+ 5-FC + VPS, n = 39)	P-value
Age, years (mean ± SD)	44.1 ± 14.0	47.9 ± 14.7	0.287
Gender, male (n,%)	20 (74.1%)	28 (71.8%)	0.839
Predisposing Factors
Chronic hepatitis B	5 (18.5%)	4 (10.3%)	0.340
Pulmonary tuberculosis	3 (11.1%)	2 (5.1%)	0.370
Type 2 diabetes mellitus	2 (7.4%)	5 (12.8%)	0.486
Autoimmune diseases	1 (3.7%)	4 (10.3%)	0.326
Solid tumor	1 (3.7%)	4 (10.3%)	0.326
Symptoms duration, days, (med, range)	30 (6–120)	30 (8–90)	0.331
Length of hospital stay days, (med, range)	77 (12–308)	35 (18–73)	0.000^*
CSF parameters opening pressure
≥25 cmH2O(n, %)	27 (100%)	42 (93.0%)	0.107
CSF WBC count×106/l (med, range)	92 (10–649)	82 (4–840)	0.744
≥20 (n,%)	23 (85.2%)	32 (82.1%)	0.871
CSF protein g/l (med, range)	0.78 (0.08–2.58)	0.71 (0.22–5.10)	0.579
CSF glucose mmol/l (med, range)	1.19 (0.00–3.79)	0.83 (0.01–3.09)	0.273
CSF cryptococci count/ml (med, range)	1398 (0–57,500)	9533 (0–263,000)	0.002^*
CSF culture positive (+)	15 (55.69%)	19 (48.7%)	0.114
Brain images (CT or MRI)
Meningeal enhancement	18 (66.7%)	18 (46.2%)	0.182
Cryptococcosis-related lesions in brain	13 (48.1%)	17 (43.6%)	0.717
Hydrocephalus	3 (11.1%)	3 (7.7%)	0.637
BMRC staging (n, %)			0.443
1	2 (7.4%)	8 (20.5%)
2	16 (59.3%)	10 (25.6%)
3	9 (33.3%)	21 (53.8%)

AmB amphotericin B, 5-Fc flcytosine, VPS ventriculoperitoneal shunts, WBC white blood cell, SD standard deviation, med median, CSF cerebrospinal fluid, BMRC British Medical research council. Data are presented as the mean ± sD, median (range) or n (%). Continuous variables were analyzed by t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test; categorical variables were analyzed by Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test.
^*P < 0.05

ISSN: 1471-2334