Treatment of cryptococcal meningitis with five anti-fungal drugs: the role of amphotericin B

Abstract

Experiments are described of the treatment of two patients with cryptococcal meningitis using antifungal drugs and amphotericin B. The first patient was a 56-year-old man with a slight azotaemia caused by hypertensive nephrosclerosis. Lumbar puncture revealed a positive India ink stain and a positive culture for Cryptococcus neoformans; serum titre for cryptococcal antigen was elevated. Amphotericin B was not administered because of the patient's slight azotaemia. After admission, the patient received oral and intravenous fluconazole (400 mg per day), for a total dose of 40 g of fluconazole over 103 days from October 1 while simultaneously receiving treatment with oral itraconazole (200 mg per day) from October 1 to December 5. In addition, he was given intravenous miconazole (600-1000 mg per day, total 74.4 g) and intrathecal miconazole (5-20 mg per day, total 375 mg) from December 1 to March 4 1990. Concomitantly, oral flucytosine (6 g per day) was given from December 5 to March 1 1990. Lumbar puncture performed at the completion of these treatments indicated the India ink stain still was positive and the serum titre for cryptococcal antigen high. Finally, amphotericin B alone was administered to the patient intravenously and intrathecally from March 4 to May 1, with an initial dose of 5 mg i.v. gradually increasing by 5 mg increments up to 50 mg per day. The patient's clinical symptoms immediately improved; the India ink stain became negative for the first time after admission and the serum titre for cryptococcal antigen also gradually decreased. On May 1, the patient was completely cured of cryptococcal meningitis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)