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Fungal meningitis

Last reviewed: 13 Jan 2026
Last updated: 17 Oct 2025

Summary

Definition

Anamnesis y examen

Principales factores de diagnóstico

  • progressive headache
  • severe headache
  • meningismus
  • symptoms of hydrocephalus (impaired cognitive function, confusion, coordination and gait disturbances, and urinary incontinence)
  • behavioral or personality change
  • reduced visual acuity and papilledema
Todos los datos

Otros factores de diagnóstico

  • nausea or vomiting
  • fever
  • reduced conscious level
  • cranial nerve palsies
  • seizures
  • weight loss
  • mouth ulcers
  • focal neurologic signs
  • lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly
  • dyspnea
  • papular umbilicated skin lesions
  • retinal defects
  • nasal or palatal eschar
Todos los datos

Factores de riesgo

  • HIV infection
  • corticosteroid use
  • underlying chronic disease (e.g., malignancy, organ failure, autoimmune disease, organ transplant)
  • residing in or visiting northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, or Vancouver Island, Canada
  • exposure to disturbed soil, chicken guano, or bat caves
  • impaired cell-mediated immunity
  • Filipinos and African Americans
  • neutropenia or impaired phagocytic function
  • neurosurgery
  • infants and neonates
  • central vascular catheters
  • sinonasal disease
  • antibacterial use
  • prior surgery
  • hyperalimentation
  • intravenous drug use
Todos los datos

Pruebas diagnósticas

Primeras pruebas diagnósticas para solicitar

  • CT and/or MRI head scan
  • fungal blood cultures (3 sets)
  • serum cryptococcal antigen test
  • serum + urine Histoplasma antigen
  • immunodiffusion tests (IgM and IgG) and complement fixation test (IgG) for coccidioidomycosis
  • cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) WBC and differential
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) glucose
  • cerebrospinal fluid India ink stain
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture
  • cerebrospinal fluid cryptococcal polysaccharide antigen test
  • cerebrospinal fluid Histoplasma antigen
  • cerebrospinal fluid Histoplasma antibodies
  • cerebrospinal fluid coccidioidal IgG antibodies
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) galactomannan antigen test
Todos los datos

Pruebas diagnósticas que deben considerarse

  • histopathology and culture of biopsies: meningeal, brain, extraneural sites of involvement
  • polymerase chain reaction (PCR)
Todos los datos

Pruebas emergentes

  • 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT
  • cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (1-3)-beta-D-glucan

Algoritmo de tratamiento

Agudo

cryptococcal meningitis

histoplasmal meningitis

coccidioidal meningitis

candidal meningitis

Exserohilum rostratum meningitis

Aspergillus meningitis

mucormycosal meningitis

Colaboradores

Autores

Abhijit Chaudhuri, DM, MD, PhD, FACP, FRCP (Glasg), FRCP (Lond)

Consultant Neurologist

Clinical Lead of Neuroinflammation

Department of Neurology

Queen's Hospital

Romford

UK

Disclosures

AC declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Dr Abhijit Chaudhuri would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Thomas S. Harrison and Dr Angela Loyse, previous contributors to this topic.

Disclosures

TSH and AL declare that they have no competing interests.

Revisores

Robert A. Larsen, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

University of Southern California

Keck School of Medicine

Los Angeles

CA

Declarações

RAL declares that he has no competing interests.

Créditos aos pareceristas

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Referências

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Principais artigos

Johnson RH, Einstein HE. Coccidioidal meningitis. Clin Infect Dis. 2006 Jan 1;42(1):103-7.Texto completo  Resumo

World Health Organization. Guidelines for diagnosing, preventing and managing cryptococcal disease among adults, adolescents and children living with HIV. June 2022 [internet publication].Texto completo  Resumo

National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HIV Medicine Association of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in adults and adolescents with HIV. Jul 2025 [internet publication].Texto completo

Galgiani JN, Ampel NM, Blair JE, et al. 2016 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) clinical practice guideline for the treatment of coccidioidomycosis. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Sep 15;63(6):e112-46.Texto completo  Resumo

Pappas PG, Kauffman CA, Andes DR, et al. Clinical practice guideline for the management of candidiasis: 2016 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Feb 15;62(4):e1-50.Texto completo  Resumo

Patterson TF, Thompson GR 3rd, Denning DW, et al. Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and management of aspergillosis: 2016 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis. 2016 Aug 15;63(4):e1-60.Texto completo  Resumo

Artigos de referência

Uma lista completa das fontes referenciadas neste tópico está disponível para os usuários com acesso total ao BMJ Best Practice.
  • Fungal meningitis images
  • Diagnósticos diferenciais

    • Tuberculous meningitis
    • Bacterial meningitis
    • Viral meningitis
    Mais Diagnósticos diferenciais
  • Diretrizes

    • Guidelines for the prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections in adults and adolescents with HIV
    • Guidelines for diagnosing, preventing, and managing cryptococcal disease among adults, adolescents and children living with HIV
    Mais Diretrizes
  • Folhetos informativos para os pacientes

    Lumbar puncture

    Mais Folhetos informativos para os pacientes
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