A clinical case of cryptococcal meningitis in patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

The risk of serious infectious diseases is significantly increased in individuals with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The article describes a clinical case of meningoencephalitis caused by Cryptococcus neoformans, in a 33-year-old female patient with SLE. The diagnosis was based on the results of cerebrospinal fluid analysis, brain magnetic resonance imaging scans, and retrospective analysis of chest computed tomography features. The antifungal therapy comprising liposomal amphotericin B and fluconazole was used successfully. Distinctive features of this clinical case include a delayed diagnosis due to the slow development and the presence of non-specific neurological symptoms, as well as the onset of acute renal disorders amid the use of antifungal therapy. The authors discuss the issues of diagnosing infectious complications in patients with SLE, particularly fungal infections, and the up-to-date approaches to therapy of cryptococcal meningitis. The presented clinical report could help therapists and rheumatologists to improve timely recognition of cryptococcal infections in SLE patients. The authors emphasized that CSF examination plays the key role in diagnosing cryptococcal meningitis. KEYWORDS: cerebral cryptococcosis, opportunistic infection, meningoencephalitis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, clinical case, fungal infection, systemic lupus erythematosus. FOR CITATION: Kuzminykh D.A., Eliseev Yu.V., Matrosova M.S. et al. A clinical case of cryptococcal meningitis in patient with systemic lupus erythematosus. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2023;7(3):174–180 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2023-7-3-174-180.