Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis During Convalescence From Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia.
Dharani Rohit ThotaBappaditya RayMirza HasanKartavya SharmaPublished in: The Neurohospitalist (2021)
Invasive cryptococcal infection in a previously immunocompetent patient complicating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia has not been described before. In this report, a 76-year-old woman survived a bout of respiratory failure from severe COVID-19 pneumonia, during which she received remdesivir, convalescent plasma, corticosteroids, and tocilizumab. Soon after discharge, she developed acute encephalopathy and multifocal ischemic strokes. CSF and blood cultures were positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of encephalopathy in a patient with COVID-19. Treatment with high-dose steroids and tocilizumab may be predisposing factors.
Keyphrases
- coronavirus disease
- respiratory failure
- sars cov
- early onset
- extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
- high dose
- mechanical ventilation
- respiratory syndrome coronavirus
- rheumatoid arthritis
- case report
- low dose
- juvenile idiopathic arthritis
- drug induced
- acute respiratory distress syndrome
- oxidative stress
- cerebral ischemia
- community acquired pneumonia
- combination therapy
- smoking cessation
- blood brain barrier