ABSTRACT
Penicillium marneffei is an important human immunodeficiency virus-associated opportunistic infection endemic in Southeast Asia. Central nervous system infection has not been described. We report the first case series of 21 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients who presented with a syndrome consistent with acute central nervous system infection and who had Penicillium marneffei isolated from cerebrospinal fluid.
Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/diagnosis , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/microbiology , Central Nervous System Fungal Infections/diagnosis , Central Nervous System Fungal Infections/microbiology , Penicillium/isolation & purification , Adult , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Asia, Southeastern , Cerebrospinal Fluid/microbiology , Female , Humans , Male , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
AIDS‐associated Cryptococcus neoformans and Penicillium marneffei coinfection has not been adequately studied and poses unique therapeutic challenges in resource‐limited settings. Itraconazole poorly penetrates the central nervous system, whereas fluconazole has poor activity against P. marneffei. We prospectively report management of 1 patient and retrospectively review 7 coinfection cases from Vietnam.
