Three-year mortality in cryptococcal meningitis: Hyperglycemia predict unfavorable outcome

Existing evidence revealed grave prognosis for cryptococcal meningitis (CM), particularly its short-term mortality. However, its long-term survival and prognostic factors remained unknown. This study investigated 3-year mortality and analyzed its predictive factors in patients with CM. This retrospective cohort study with 83 cerebrospinal fluid culture-confirmed CM patients was conducted at China Medical University Hospital from 2003 to 2016. The 3-year mortality rate in patients with CM was 54% (45 deaths among 83 patients). Advanced age, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seronegative state, low Glasgow Coma Scale score on admission, decreased hemoglobin and hyperglycemia on diagnosis were associated with 3-year mortality. After multivariate adjustment in the Cox proportional hazard model, only severe hyperglycemia (serum glucose ≥200 mg/dL) on diagnosis could predict 3-year mortality.