L B da Silva1, D Bock2, G B Klafke2, K O Sanchotene1, R P Basso3, J L Benelli3, V R Poester1, F A da Silva4, L Trilles4, C B Severo5, D A Stevens6, M O Xavier7. 1. Mycology Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine (FAMED), Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Program Post-Graduation in Health Sciences (PPGCS - FAMED-FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 2. Mycology Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine (FAMED), Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 3. Program Post-Graduation in Health Sciences (PPGCS - FAMED-FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 4. Mycology Laboratory of National Institute of Infectology, Foundation Oswaldo Cruz (INI-FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 5. Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 6. California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, California, USA and Div. of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California, USA. 7. Mycology Laboratory of Faculty of Medicine (FAMED), Federal University of Rio Grande (FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Program Post-Graduation in Health Sciences (PPGCS - FAMED-FURG), Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Electronic address: melissaxavierfurg@gmail.com.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes ∼15% mortality in AIDS patients. Rio Grande City, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, has the highest national rate of HIV/AIDS, considering cities with population more than 100,000 habitants. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological profile of cryptococcosis in a reference service for HIV-AIDS patients in the South region of Brazil, over seven years. Material and methods A retrospective study was performed including all cryptococcosis cases diagnosed at the University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande (UH-FURG) between January 2010 and December 2016. RESULTS: Seventy cases of cryptococcosis were diagnosis from 2010 to 2016 in the UH-FURG in the seven years of the study. These numbers were responsible for 2.1% to 8.1% of the hospitalizations/year for HIV patients. All were caused by C. neoformans infection (95% C. neoformans var. grubii VNI and 5% C. neoformans var. grubii VNII). Neurocryptococcosis was the major clinical manifestation and cryptococcosis was the HIV- defining condition in 40% of patients. The period of hospitalization was an average of 39.3 days (SD=31.3), and more than half of patients (53%; 37/70) died after a mean of 82 days. DISCUSSION: The present study showed the importance of cryptococcosis as an AIDS-defining disease in HIV-AIDS patients in a tertiary hospital from Southern Brazil. More investment is necessary to reduce the impact of this opportunistic mycosis in HIV-AIDS patients from southern Brazil.
INTRODUCTION:Cryptococcus neoformans is an opportunistic pathogen that causes ∼15% mortality in AIDSpatients. Rio Grande City, Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, has the highest national rate of HIV/AIDS, considering cities with population more than 100,000 habitants. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the clinical and epidemiological profile of cryptococcosis in a reference service for HIV-AIDSpatients in the South region of Brazil, over seven years. Material and methods A retrospective study was performed including all cryptococcosis cases diagnosed at the University Hospital, Federal University of Rio Grande (UH-FURG) between January 2010 and December 2016. RESULTS: Seventy cases of cryptococcosis were diagnosis from 2010 to 2016 in the UH-FURG in the seven years of the study. These numbers were responsible for 2.1% to 8.1% of the hospitalizations/year for HIVpatients. All were caused by C. neoformansinfection (95% C. neoformans var. grubii VNI and 5% C. neoformans var. grubii VNII). Neurocryptococcosis was the major clinical manifestation and cryptococcosis was the HIV- defining condition in 40% of patients. The period of hospitalization was an average of 39.3 days (SD=31.3), and more than half of patients (53%; 37/70) died after a mean of 82 days. DISCUSSION: The present study showed the importance of cryptococcosis as an AIDS-defining disease in HIV-AIDSpatients in a tertiary hospital from Southern Brazil. More investment is necessary to reduce the impact of this opportunistic mycosis in HIV-AIDSpatients from southern Brazil.