Chronic Candida albicans meningitis misdiagnosed as polymyalgia rheumatica and successfully treated with voriconazole.

The outcome of chronic meningitis depends to a large degree on the causative pathogen and the interval between onset of symptoms and diagnosis. We present a patient with a delayed diagnosis and several complications, for whom adequate therapy resulted in a favorable outcome. In a 76-year-old male patient, Candida   albicans meningitis was diagnosed 4 months after the onset of symptoms. CSF findings (protein >1000 mg/L, predominance of intrathecal immunoglobulin A synthesis, lactate concentrations of approx. 10 mmol/L, leukocyte counts around 1000/μl, variable differential leukocyte counts) resembled tuberculous meningitis. In spite of the long interval without treatment, voriconazole 200 mg every 12 h for 7 weeks followed by fluconazole 300 mg/day maintenance therapy for 7 months led to a recovery with only mild deficits. The case illustrates that 1. C .  albicans can cause chronic meningitis in patients without severe immune defects, 2. patients can survive C .  albicans meningitis with mild long-term sequelae even when diagnosis and adequate treatment are delayed, and 3. voriconazole as a sole agent may be suitable for treatment of C .  albicans meningitis.