Disseminated cryptococcosis in an HIV-positive boy

Abstract

Cryptococcosis is rare among children, only occurring in about 1% of children with HIV. We report the case of a 12-year-old boy with disseminated cryptococcosis. He had a history of recurrent pneumonia. He then developed meningeal symptoms and was found to have disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans by cerebrospinal fluid and bone marrow aspirate culture. He was treated with amphotericin B for 2 weeks (1 mg/kg/day), and then with fluconazole orally for 8 weeks (12 mg/kg/day). He also received a new diagnosis of HIV and was started on antiretroviral therapy 2 weeks after starting antifungal treatment. At follow-up 8 weeks later, he was doing well. Copyright 2012 BMJ Publishing Group. All rights reserved.