Early onset of paucisymptomatic cryptococcal meningitis in a kidney transplant patient: a case report and review of the literature.

ABSTRACT

Fungal infections of the central nervous system are rare and are more frequently encountered in immunocompromised patients. Cryptococcocal infection is the most common opportunistic fungal infection after Candida and Aspergillus in organ transplant recipients. Atypical manifestations and nonspecific neuroradiological findings due to the lack of inflammatory response in these immunocompromised patients are responsible for a delay in diagnosis. This diagnosis should be considered even in atypical neurological signs, and additional tests (cerebrospinal fluid examination, magnetic resonance, etc) that may help to suggest the correct diagnosis should be used. We report a case of cryptococcal meningitis in a renal transplant recipient, which was misdiagnosed for several months because of an atypical presentation of headaches without fever or neurological signs.