Recent advances in the management of cryptococcal meningitis in patients with AIDS

The optimum regimen for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis in patients with AIDS is still not totally clear. The triazoles fluconazole and itraconazole are associated with response rates of 50%-60%. Amphotericin B appears to be associated with a more rapid clearance of organisms, and there are some data suggesting that initial therapy with amphotericin B is preferable to that with triazoles; however, this finding has not been definitively shown in large comparative trials. Results of a recently completed large trial suggested that initial treatment with amphotericin B followed by triazole therapy is associated with an acute mortality rate (approximately 6%) that is substantially less than that in previous studies. Relapse is common (20%-60% of cases) if the patient does not receive chronic suppressive therapy. The drug of choice for maintenance therapy is fluconazole (200 mg/d). A recent trial showed that fluconazole was superior to itraconazole (200 mg/d) as suppressive therapy. Prophylactic use of fluconazole (200 mg/d) significantly decreases the incidence of cryptococcosis and mucosal candidiasis, especially in patients with CD4 cell counts of < 50/mm3. However, because of the lack of a survival benefit and the risk of the selection effect on fluconazole-resistant Candida, it is difficult to make the recommendation of routine prophylaxis with fluconazole for all patients with AIDS; the decision to use prophylaxis should be based on more selective criteria.