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Author:
Carol A Kauffman, MD
Section Editor:
Kieren A Marr, MD
Deputy Editor:
Anna R Thorner, MD
Contributor Disclosures
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review
process is complete.
Literature review current through: Aug 2018. | This topic last updated: Jan 18,
2018.
The clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of Candida meningitis and other CNS
infections will be reviewed here. An overview of Candidainfections is presented
separately. Candidemia and invasive candidiasis are also discussed separately.
(See "Overview of Candida infections"and "Epidemiology and pathogenesis of
candidemia in adults" and "Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of candidemia and
invasive candidiasis in adults" and "Treatment of candidemia and invasive candidiasis
in adults" and "Candidemia and invasive candidiasis in children: Clinical manifestations
and diagnosis" and "Candidemia and invasive candidiasis in children:
Management" and "Epidemiology and risk factors for Candida infection in
neonates" and "Treatment of Candida infection in neonates".)
CLINICAL FEATURES — The symptoms of Candida meningitis are often the same as
in patients with acute bacterial meningitis (eg, fever, stiff neck, altered mental status,
headache). (See "Clinical features and diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in
adults".)
Fever may be the only manifestation in patients who are neutropenic, and signs of
sepsis and multiorgan failure often predominate in neonates. Patients with multiple
cerebral microabscesses can develop a diffuse encephalopathy [3].
●Meningitis developed in 23 patients (22 percent) and was present in 0.4 percent
of admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit.
●The median gestational age was 26 weeks and the median age at onset of
clinical disease was eight days.
●The children were severely ill with respiratory decompensation, acidosis, and
hypotension. A few patients had other signs of disseminated infection such as
intracardiac vegetations, endophthalmitis, and hypoechogenic hepatic lesions on
ultrasonography.
CNS shunts and other devices — Drainage device infection usually occurs within
several months of the surgical procedure and probably results from contamination
during the procedure rather than hematogenous seeding of the device [7-10]. In a
study that included three patients with neurosurgery-related Candida meningitis and
that reviewed 15 others that were previously reported, most had received antibiotics
and nine had a recent history of bacterial meningitis [7].
Another report evaluated 24 patients with Candida shunt infections, all but one with a
ventriculoperitoneal shunt [8]. The major predisposing factors were recent bacterial
meningitis, neurosurgery other than shunt placement, and abdominal complications,
such as intestinal perforation.
The symptoms and signs associated with Candida ventricular drainage device
infections are similar to those seen with the more common bacterial infections of these
devices [7,8]. In addition to fever, shunt malfunction can result in manifestations of
increased intracranial pressure, such as headache, nausea, vomiting, and mental
status changes. (See "Infections of cerebrospinal fluid shunts and other devices".)
Among children, the CNS shunt is typically implanted in premature babies because of
hydrocephalus. In a series of 48 CNS shunt infections in children, 8 (17 percent) were
due to Candida spp [9]. The onset of infection ranged from one month to one year after
shunt insertion. The clinical manifestations were subtle and slowly progressive.
●Isolation of Candida from another normally sterile site in patients who have
pleocytosis on CSF analysis. Finding Candida species in blood cultures is helpful,
but candidemia may not be documented in patients with Candida meningitis.
CSF analysis — Lumbar puncture to obtain CSF for culture and analysis is essential
for establishing the diagnosis. The overall rate of culture positivity is approximately 80
percent [3]. A positive CSF culture should not be considered a contaminant, particularly
in immunocompromised patients; this is true even if other pathogens are identified [3].
The beta-D-glucan assay using CSF can possibly be a useful adjunct to CSF culture
and analysis.
The diagnosis is more difficult in patients with chronic meningitis because the organism
is present in low numbers and the yield of standard cultures of CSF is poor. In the
above review of 18 cases, the following findings were noted [11]:
●The initial cultures were positive in eight patients. Use of special techniques
resulted in the growth of Candida species in four patients, but the cultures
remained negative in three.
In patients with chronic Candida meningitis, large-volume (10 to 20 mL) spinal taps are
often required to obtain sufficient CSF for culture. The microbiology laboratory should
be asked to culture the entire sample or to filter the sample through a Millipore filter and
culture the filter on appropriate media. (See "Approach to the patient with chronic
meningitis", section on 'CSF examination and other laboratory testing'.)
TREATMENT
Antifungal therapy — The standard initial therapy for Candida meningitis has been
amphotericin B combined with flucytosine [22]. Amphotericin B is used because of its
fungicidal activity against almost all Candida species, even though drug levels in the
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain are low [23,24]. Flucytosine is added because of its
anti-candidal activity and excellent penetration into CSF and brain tissue [24].
Flucytosine (5-FC) is given at a dose of 25 mg/kg orally four times per day in patients
with normal renal function. Careful attention to serum levels is warranted to avoid bone
marrow toxicity, particularly in patients with renal dysfunction. Monitoring of serum 5-
FC concentrations is recommended after three to five days of therapy, when available,
and should be obtained two hours after a dose has been administered. The target peak
concentration is between 50 and 80 mcg/mL; concentrations >100 mcg/mL should be
avoided. Serum drug concentrations should be repeated if renal function worsens or if
leukopenia or thrombocytopenia occurs. With decreasing renal function (often due to
amphotericin B), toxicity is more common and patients must be monitored particularly
carefully. If amphotericin B–induced nephrotoxicity occurs, the dose of flucytosine
should be reduced.
All patients receiving flucytosine should undergo regular monitoring of complete blood
counts (CBC). In settings in which serum flucytosine concentrations are not available,
CBC monitoring two to three times per week provides an indirect method of screening
for excessive dosing. An otherwise unexplained reduction in the neutrophil or platelet
count may reflect flucytosine toxicity and either the drug should be stopped or the dose
reduced. (See "Amphotericin B nephrotoxicity" and "Pharmacology of flucytosine (5-
FC)", section on 'Serum concentration monitoring'.)
Fluconazole has excellent CNS penetration and is active against most Candida isolates
causing CNS infections [27]. However, treatment outcomes have varied with the use of
fluconazole alone or in combination with flucytosine [9-11,28]. In patients infected with
a fluconazole-susceptible Candida spp, we recommend that oral fluconazole be used
as step-down therapy after an initial several week course of liposomal amphotericin
B with or without flucytosine [11,22]. In adult patients with a normal serum creatinine,
oral fluconazole should be given at a dose of 400 to 800 mg (6 to 12 mg/kg) daily.
Since fluconazole is highly bioavailable, oral therapy is appropriate for most patients.
Intravenous therapy (at the same dose) should be given to patients who are unable to
take oral medications, who are not expected to have good gastrointestinal absorption,
or who are severely ill.
Posaconazole does not achieve adequate CSF levels [22,29], and there is little
experience in using this agent for invasive candidiasis. Therefore, posaconazole
should not be used for CNS Candida infections.
Isavuconazole has not been studied in patients with CNS infections and does not
achieve adequate CSF levels. It should not be used for Candida CNS infections.
There are no data available concerning the frequency of testing, but the following
approach seems reasonable:
●For patients with cerebral abscesses, MRI should be repeated at two weeks (or
earlier if the patient is deteriorating) and then monthly until resolution.
●For patients with acute meningitis, lumbar puncture should be repeated weekly
for the first few weeks to be sure that the CSF changes are returning toward
normal and that cultures are negative.
●For patients with chronic meningitis, lumbar puncture should be repeated as for
acute meningitis. The best parameters to follow are the CSF white cell count and
protein and glucose concentrations. The organism is present in low numbers and
the yield of standard cultures of CSF is poor [11].
MORTALITY — Data on mortality comes from the relatively small case series
described above. The following illustrate the range of findings in the different settings
noted above (neonates, neurosurgery patients, and chronic meningitis):
●In a review of 320 neonates with birth weights <1000 grams, 27 had meningitis,
15 of whom had neurodevelopmental parameters tested at 18 to 22 months of age
[26]. In this small cohort, 53.3 percent had neurodevelopmental impairment
documented, and 29.6 percent died.
●In two reviews with a total of 40 neurosurgical patients with Candida meningitis,
4 died (10 percent) [7,8]. In one series, 1 of the deaths was in the only patient
among the 22 total patients in whom the shunt was not removed [8].
●In the review of 18 patients with chronic Candida meningitis, the overall mortality
rate was 53 percent [11]. However, among the 12 patients who were appropriately
treated and followed, only 4 (33 percent) died. A similar mortality rate (31 percent)
has been noted in HIV-infected patients with chronic Candida meningitis [12].
●Candida infections of the central nervous system (CNS) most often involve the
meninges. However, intracranial abscesses can occur either as an isolated
phenomenon or associated with meningitis. The abscesses are usually small
microabscesses, multiple, and associated with disseminated infection in
immunocompromised hosts. (See 'Introduction' above.)
●As with Candida infections at most other sites, patients who develop CNS
infections are usually immunocompromised. In addition to occurring in premature
neonates and after neurosurgery, the risk is also increased in HIV-infected
patients and in those with leukemia. (See 'Epidemiology' above.)
●The symptoms of Candida meningitis can be the same as in patients with acute
bacterial meningitis (eg, fever, stiff neck, altered mental status, headache). Fever
may be the only manifestation in patients who are neutropenic, whereas signs of
sepsis and multiorgan failure often predominate in neonates. Patients with multiple
cerebral microabscesses can develop a diffuse encephalopathy. (See 'Clinical
features' above.)
●Drainage device infection usually occurs within several months of the surgical
procedure and probably results from implantation during the procedure rather than
hematogenous seeding of the device. The symptoms and signs associated
with Candida ventricular drainage device infections are similar to those seen with
the more common bacterial infections of these devices. In addition to fever, shunt
malfunction can result in manifestations of increased intracranial pressure, such
as headache, nausea, vomiting, and mental status changes. (See 'CNS shunts
and other devices' above.)
Diagnosis
•Isolation of Candida from another normally sterile site in patients who have
pleocytosis on CSF analysis. Finding Candida species in blood cultures is
helpful, but candidemia may not be documented in patients
with Candida meningitis.
Treatment
INTRODUCCIÓN - Las infecciones por Candida del sistema nervioso central (SNC)
con mayor frecuencia involucran a las meninges. Sin embargo, los abscesos
intracraneales pueden ocurrir ya sea como un fenómeno aislado o asociado con la
meningitis [ 1,2 ]. Los abscesos suelen ser pequeños microabscesos, múltiples y
asociados con infección diseminada en huéspedes inmunocomprometidos [ 3 ].
La fiebre puede ser la única manifestación en pacientes que son neutropénicos, y los
signos de sepsis y falla multiorgánica a menudo predominan en los recién nacidos. Los
pacientes con múltiples microabscesos cerebrales pueden desarrollar una
encefalopatía difusa [ 3 ].
Además, entre los pacientes con siembra hematógena, se pueden observar otros
signos de diseminación, como endoftalmitis, endocarditis, lesiones cutáneas y
afectación renal [ 3,15 ]. (Consulte "Manifestaciones clínicas y diagnóstico de
candidemia y candidiasis invasiva en adultos" y "Tratamiento de endoftalmitis
endógena por especies de Candida" y "Endocarditis por Candida y tromboflebitis
supurativa" y "Infecciones por Candida de la vejiga y los riñones" ).
Otro informe evaluó a 24 pacientes con infecciones por derivación de Candida , todos
menos uno con derivación ventriculoperitoneal [ 8 ]. Los principales factores
predisponentes fueron la meningitis bacteriana reciente, la neurocirugía además de la
colocación de la derivación y las complicaciones abdominales, como la perforación
intestinal.
Los síntomas y signos asociados con las infecciones por el dispositivo de drenaje
ventricular de Candida son similares a los que se observan con las infecciones
bacterianas más comunes de estos dispositivos [ 7,8 ]. Además de la fiebre, el mal
funcionamiento de la derivación puede dar lugar a manifestaciones de aumento de la
presión intracraneal, como dolor de cabeza, náuseas, vómitos y cambios en el estado
mental. (Consulte "Infecciones de derivaciones de líquido cefalorraquídeo y otros
dispositivos" ).
Entre los niños, la derivación del SNC generalmente se implanta en bebés prematuros
debido a la hidrocefalia. En una serie de 48 infecciones del shunt del SNC en niños, 8
(17 por ciento) se debieron a Candida spp [ 9 ]. El inicio de la infección varió de un
mes a un año después de la inserción de la derivación. Las manifestaciones clínicas
fueron sutiles y lentamente progresivas.
Análisis de LCR : la punción lumbar para obtener LCR para cultivo y análisis es
esencial para establecer el diagnóstico. La tasa global de positividad de cultivo es
aproximadamente del 80 por ciento [ 3 ]. Una cultura de LCR positiva no debe
considerarse un contaminante, particularmente en pacientes
inmunocomprometidos; esto es cierto incluso si se identifican otros patógenos [ 3 ]. El
ensayo de beta-D-glucano utilizando CSF puede ser posiblemente un complemento
útil para el cultivo y análisis de LCR.
TRATAMIENTO
La terapia con una formulación de anfotericina B con o sin flucitosina debe continuar
durante al menos algunas semanas y hasta que el paciente haya mostrado mejoría
clínica y mejora en el perfil de LCR. Estamos a favor de repetir la punción lumbar
semanalmente hasta que el recuento de glóbulos blancos disminuya y el cultivo ya no
produzca Candida .
La flucitosina (5-FC) se administra a una dosis de 25 mg / kg por vía oral cuatro veces
al día en pacientes con función renal normal. Se debe prestar una cuidadosa atención
a los niveles séricos para evitar la toxicidad de la médula ósea, particularmente en
pacientes con disfunción renal. Se recomienda el control de las concentraciones
séricas de 5-FC después de tres a cinco días de tratamiento, cuando esté disponible, y
debe obtenerse dos horas después de que se haya administrado la dosis. La
concentración máxima objetivo está entre 50 y 80 mcg / ml; concentraciones> 100 mcg
/ mLdebería ser evitado. Las concentraciones de fármaco en suero deben repetirse si
empeora la función renal o si se produce leucopenia o trombocitopenia. Con la
disminución de la función renal (a menudo debido a la anfotericina B), la toxicidad es
más común y los pacientes deben ser monitoreados con especial cuidado. Si se
produce nefrotoxicidad inducida por anfotericina B, se debe reducir la dosis de
flucitosina.
Todos los pacientes que reciben flucitosina deben someterse a un control regular de
los recuentos sanguíneos completos (CSC). En entornos en los que las
concentraciones séricas de flucitosina no están disponibles, la monitorización de CBC
dos o tres veces por semana proporciona un método indirecto de detección para una
dosificación excesiva. Una reducción del recuento de neutrófilos o plaquetas por lo
demás inexplicable puede reflejar toxicidad por flucitosina y el fármaco debe
suspenderse o la dosis debe reducirse. (Ver"Nefrotoxicidad por anfotericina
B" y "Farmacología de la flucitosina (5-FC)", sección sobre "Control de la
concentración sérica" ).
Duración : la terapia antifúngica debe continuar hasta que todos los abscesos, si se
observaron en la presentación, se hayan resuelto con la resonancia magnética
(RM); la glucosa, pleocitosis, proteína y cultivo de CSF han vuelto a la normalidad; y
los síntomas y signos del paciente se han resuelto [ 22 ]. Pueden pasar semanas o
meses para que se cumplan las medidas anteriores.
No hay datos disponibles sobre la frecuencia de las pruebas, pero el siguiente enfoque
parece razonable:
●Para los pacientes con meningitis aguda, la punción lumbar debe repetirse
semanalmente durante las primeras semanas para asegurarse de que los
cambios en el LCR vuelvan a la normalidad y que los cultivos sean negativos.
●Para pacientes con meningitis crónica, la punción lumbar debe repetirse como
para la meningitis aguda. Los mejores parámetros a seguir son el recuento de
leucocitos en LCR y las concentraciones de proteínas y glucosa. El organismo
está presente en números bajos y el rendimiento de los cultivos estándar de LCR
es deficiente [ 11 ].
●En una revisión de 320 neonatos con un peso al nacer <1000 gramos, 27 tenían
meningitis, 15 de los cuales tenían parámetros del neurodesarrollo evaluados a
los 18-22 meses de edad [ 26 ]. En esta pequeña cohorte, el 53.3 por ciento tuvo
una alteración en el desarrollo neurológico documentada, y el 29.6 por ciento
murió.
RESUMEN Y RECOMENDACIONES
● Lasinfecciones por Candida del sistema nervioso central (SNC) con mayor
frecuencia involucran a las meninges. Sin embargo, los abscesos intracraneales
pueden ocurrir como un fenómeno aislado o asociados con la meningitis. Los
abscesos suelen ser pequeños microabscesos, múltiples y asociados con
infección diseminada en huéspedes
inmunocomprometidos. (Ver 'Introducción' arriba).
●Al igual que con las infecciones por Candida en la mayoría de los otros sitios, los
pacientes que desarrollan infecciones del sistema nervioso central suelen estar
inmunocomprometidos. Además de ocurrir en recién nacidos prematuros y
después de la neurocirugía, el riesgo también se incrementa en pacientes
infectados por VIH y en aquellos con leucemia. (Ver 'Epidemiología' más arriba.)
●Los síntomas de la meningitis por Candida pueden ser los mismos que en
pacientes con meningitis bacteriana aguda (p. Ej., Fiebre, rigidez en el cuello,
alteración del estado mental, dolor de cabeza). La fiebre puede ser la única
manifestación en pacientes que son neutropénicos, mientras que los signos de
sepsis y falla multiorgánica a menudo predominan en los recién nacidos. Los
pacientes con microabscesos cerebrales múltiples pueden desarrollar una
encefalopatía difusa. (Consulte 'Características clínicas' más arriba).
Diagnóstico
●Se debe sospechar la posible presencia de infección por Candida del SNC en
pacientes con síntomas neurológicos que tienen uno o más de los siguientes:
●La punción lumbar para obtener LCR para cultivo y análisis es esencial para
establecer el diagnóstico. El ensayo de beta-D-glucano utilizando CSF podría ser
un complemento útil para el cultivo y análisis de LCR. (Consulte 'Análisis de CSF'
más arriba).
Tratamiento