Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 21, 2026

The Clinical Application of Tumor Treating Fields Therapy in Glioblastoma
08:00

The Clinical Application of Tumor Treating Fields Therapy in Glioblastoma

Published on: April 16, 2019

Dexamethasone in Cryptococcus gattii central nervous system infection

Peter Phillips1, Kristine Chapman, Madeleine Sharp

  • 1Divisions of Infectious Diseases, St. Paul's Hospital, 1081 Burrard St., Rm. 667, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada. pphillips@cfenet.ubc.ca

Clinical Infectious Diseases : an Official Publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
|July 11, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Dexamethasone showed favorable responses in 3 of 4 patients with Cryptococcus gattii central nervous system infections. Further evaluation of dexamethasone is suggested for this patient subset.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Cryptococcus gattii can cause central nervous system infections.
  • Standard treatment guidelines do not recommend corticosteroids for cryptococcal meningitis.
  • Some patients present with persistent neurological abnormalities despite standard care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical outcomes of dexamethasone in patients with Cryptococcus gattii CNS infection.
  • To assess the efficacy of dexamethasone in managing persistent neurological deficits and brain lesions.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 4 patients with Cryptococcus gattii CNS infection.
  • Patients received dexamethasone for persistent mental status abnormalities and focal brain lesions.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid cultures were negative, and intracranial pressure was managed.

Main Results:

  • Three out of four patients experienced favorable clinical responses to dexamethasone.
  • Dexamethasone appeared to help manage persistent neurological abnormalities and focal lesions.
  • No adverse events related to dexamethasone were explicitly mentioned.

Conclusions:

  • Dexamethasone may offer a therapeutic benefit in a subset of Cryptococcus gattii CNS infection patients.
  • Further clinical trials are warranted to evaluate dexamethasone's role in treating these specific cases.
  • This study suggests a potential adjunctive role for corticosteroids in refractory cases.

More Related Videos

A Surgical Procedure for the Administration of Drugs to the Inner Ear in a Non-Human Primate Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)06:55

A Surgical Procedure for the Administration of Drugs to the Inner Ear in a Non-Human Primate Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Published on: February 27, 2018

Related Concept Videos

Cryptococcal Meningitis01:27

Cryptococcal Meningitis

Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening opportunistic infection predominantly associated with HIV/AIDS, accounting for over 100,000 deaths annually worldwide. However, it also affects individuals with other forms of immunosuppression, including those undergoing immunosuppressive therapy, organ transplant recipients, patients with innate immunodeficiencies, and individuals with hematological disorders. The infection is caused mainly by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii,...
Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route01:29

Drug Delivery: Parenteral Route

The parenteral route is a critical method of drug administration. It delivers compounds directly into the systemic circulation and bypasses the gastrointestinal tract. This approach is particularly advantageous for drugs that exhibit poor absorption or instability when administered orally.
There are three primary parenteral routes: intravenous (IV), intramuscular (IM), and subcutaneous (SC). The IV route introduces the drug directly into the bloodstream, ensuring immediate action. The IM route...
Antifungal Agents01:15

Antifungal Agents

Amphotericin B is a broad-spectrum antifungal agent that exploits structural differences between fungal and mammalian cell membranes. Its amphipathic structure—featuring a hydrophobic polyene-lactone ring and a hydrophilic region containing mycosamine and carboxylic acid groups—enables selective binding to ergosterol, a sterol predominantly found in fungal plasma membranes. This selective interaction underlies the drug’s antifungal activity, although weak binding to cholesterol contributes to...
Cytomegalovirus Disease01:27

Cytomegalovirus Disease

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) disease is caused by human cytomegalovirus, a double-stranded DNA virus of the Herpesviridae family. While primary CMV infection is often asymptomatic in immunocompetent individuals, the virus can cause severe disease in neonates and immunocompromised patients. CMV is the most common cause of congenital viral infection in the United States, and a major pathogen in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients.CMV is transmitted via bodily fluids, sexual...
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids01:21

Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Glucocorticoids

Glucocorticoids, a class of anti-inflammatory drugs, are pivotal in treating moderate to severe Crohn's disease by inducing remission. They exhibit their anti-inflammatory action by inhibiting the production of inflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, and chemokines like IL-8. In addition, they reduce the expression of inflammatory cell adhesion molecules and inhibit gene transcription of nitric oxide synthase, phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),...
Candidiasis01:20

Candidiasis

Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by opportunistic species of Candida. It can affect various anatomical sites, including the skin, oral cavity, nails, and genitourinary tract. Among its forms, vaginal candidiasis is the most common type of mucosal infection. It typically results from the overgrowth of Candida albicans in the vaginal mucosa. Under normal conditions, C. albicans exists as a commensal organism within the vaginal microbiota, regulated by the dominance of lactobacilli, which...