Table 1 The clinical characteristics and laboratory data of the 99 adults with cryptococcal meningitis
Non-elderly group (n = 61) | Elderly group (n = 38) | p-value | |
|---|---|---|---|
Gender | |||
Male | 48 | 16 | < 0.001 |
Female | 13 | 22 | |
Mortality at discharge | 19 | 14 | 0.597 |
Underlying disease | |||
AIDS | 11 | 1 | 0.026 |
Diabetes mellitus | 8 | 15 | 0.003 |
Liver cirrhosis | 6 | 3 | 1.000 |
Hematologic disorders | 7 | 5 | 1.000 |
Autoimmune disorders | 7 | 3 | 0.737 |
Malignancy | 3 | 6 | 0.083 |
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease | 0 | 5 | 0.007 |
Adrenal insufficiency | 1 | 7 | 0.005 |
Organ transplantation | 1 | 0 | 1.000 |
Immunocompromised state | 26 | 17 | 0.837 |
Initial presentation | |||
Headache | 48 | 17 | 0.001 |
Altered consciousness | 20 | 29 | < 0.001 |
Fever | 39 | 21 | 0.390 |
Seizure | 9 | 6 | 0.889 |
Visual disturbance | 15 | 1 | 0.004 |
Hearing impairment | 5 | 1 | 0.402 |
Cerebrospinal fluid data | |||
White blood cell count (109/L) | 0.17 | 0.09 | 0.022 |
Glucose (mmol/L) | 2.18 | 2.92 | 0.153 |
Protein (g/L) | 1.50 | 2.54 | 0.186 |
Lactate (mmol/L) | 5.25 | 5.35 | 0.896 |
Positive India ink stain | 22 | 9 | 0.113 |
Cryptococcal Ag titer (≥1:1024) | 26 | 12 | 0.163 |
Positive culture result | 51 | 26 | 0.004 |
Serum cryptococcal Ag titer (≥1:1024) | 22 | 12 | 0.766 |
Cryptococcemia | 21 | 9 | 0.258 |
Extraneural involvement | 5 | 5 | 0.501 |
Neuroimaging findings | |||
Basal meningeal enhancement | 22 | 12 | 0.584 |
Pseudocyst/VR space dilatation | 18 | 14 | 0.394 |
Hydrocephalus | 18 | 15 | 0.263 |
Recent cerebral infarction | 3 | 11 | 0.001 |
Cryptococcoma | 5 | 1 | 0.404 |