Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of HIV-infected patients with C. neoformans versus C. curvatus/C. laurentii meningitis
Variable | Cryptococcal species | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
C. neoformans na (%)b | C. curvatus/C. laurentii na (%)b | ||
Demographic characteristics | |||
Age, mean (year) ± SD | 36.7 ± 11·3 | 38.3 ± 9.1 | 0.1 |
Female sex | 15 (65.2) | 4 (66.7) | 1 |
Marital status | 0.56 | ||
Single | 8 (34.8) | 3(60.0) | |
Married/free union | 10 (43.5) | 2 (40.0) | |
Divorced/separated/widowed | 5 (21.7) | 0 | |
Clinical stage of HIV (WHO) | 0.19 | ||
Stage III | 0 | 1 (20.0) | |
Stage IV | 21 (100) | 4 (80.0) | |
Antiretroviral therapy (ART) | 20 (87.0) | 3 (50.0) | 0.08 |
Clinical signs | |||
Headache | 23 (100) | 3 (50.0) | 0.005 |
Fever | 18 (78.0) | 2 (33.3) | 0.05 |
Weight loss | 16 (69.6) | 2 (33.3) | 0.16 |
Disorder of consciousness | 11 (47.8) | 0 | 0.05 |
Meningeal signs | 7 (30.4) | 0 | 0.28 |
Memory impairment | 6 (26.1) | 0 | 0.29 |
Convulsions | 4 (17.4) | 0 | 0.55 |
Dizziness | 4 (17.4) | 1 (16.7) | 1 |
Visual disturbances | 0 | 2 (33.3) | 0.03 |
Hemiplegia | 0 | 1 (16.7) | 0.2 |
Neck pain | 1 (4.3) | 0 | 1 |
Facial paralysis | 0 | 1 (16.7) | 0.2 |
Mean temperature (°C) ± SD | 36.8 ± 0.8 | 36.1 ± 1.3 | 0.08 |
Duration of symptoms | 18.3 ± 14.7 | 19.3 ± 9.4 | 0.8 |