CRYPTOCOCCUS-NEOFORMANS VAR GATTII MENINGITIS IN AN AUSTRALIAN PATIENT WITH AIDS

Infection with Cryptococcus neoformans is the most common non-viral op portunistic infection of the central nervous system in patients with A IDS. The most common clinical manifestation is meningitis but infectio n at other sites is frequent. Cryptococcosis in AIDS patients is almos t exclusively due to C. neoformans var. neoformans. Infection with C. neoformans var. gattii has been reported only rarely despite the fact that it is widely endemic in Australia and several other tropical and temperate parts of the world. We report here the first case of C. neof ormans var. gattii meningitis described in an Australian AIDS patient. The infecting strain was typed as serotype B, the serotype of C. neof ormans var. gattii previously reported from AIDS patients. The clinica l and laboratory findings and the course of the illness were similar t o those reported for AIDS patients infected with C. neoformans var. ne oformans.