Two central nervous system infectious diseases in a patient with AIDS

As medical interventions prolong the lives of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), we have begun to observe multiple infections occurring simultaneously in a single patient. This report describes two central nervous system (CNS) infections, cryptococcal meningitis and cerebral toxoplasmosis, coexisting in a patient with AIDS. Although the treatment strategies for these CNS infections are generally established, often the physician must make management decisions based on clinical and statistical data and patient response to empiric trials of therapy rather than on the results of invasive diagnostic tests.