Nationwide population-based epidemiologic study of cryptococcal meningitis in Taiwan

Little is known about the epidemiology of cryptococcal meningitis in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to conduct the first nationwide population-based epidemiologic study of cryptococcal meningitis in Taiwan.

Cases of cryptococcal meningitis were identified from the annual hospitalization discharge claims of the National Health Insurance Research Database with the corresponding ICD-9 code 321.0 from January 2000 to December 2007.

A total of 845 incident cases of cryptococcal meningitis were detected. Among them, 109 patients (12.9%) had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. The average incidence was 4.7 per million person-years. The incidence remarkably increased in the age group of 60-69 years, peaked in the age group of 70-79 years, and fell after the age of 80 years. The average incidence for men was 2.2-fold higher than that for women. The most common complication was obstructive hydrocephalus in 15.3% of the patients, followed by acute respiratory failure in 12.0% of the patients.

This is the first population-based epidemiologic study of cryptococcal meningitis in Taiwan. The incidence was stable during the study period, and most cases were non-HIV related.