CASE REPORT article
Front. Med.
Sec. Infectious Diseases: Pathogenesis and Therapy
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1601269
Case Report: Combined Surgical and Pharmacological Management of Basal Ganglia Cryptococcal Meningoencephalitis
Provisionally accepted
- First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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Introduction: Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) involving the basal ganglia is exceedingly rare and poses diagnostic and therapeutic challenges due to its tumor-mimicking presentation. This case underscores the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach integrating surgical intervention and targeted antifungal therapy. Case Presentation: A 47-year-old immunocompetent female presented with progressive headache and left-sided hemiparesis. Neuroimaging identified a basal ganglia mass initially misdiagnosed as a neoplastic lesion. Interventions: Surgical resection under neuroelectrophysiological monitoring was combined with amphotericin B, flucytosine, and fluconazole. Outcomes: Complete lesion excision, symptom resolution, and mild memory deficits at 4-year follow-up. Lessons:Combined therapy is pivotal for CM with parenchymal involvement; early surgery may mitigate irreversible neurological sequelae.
Keywords: Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis, Basal Ganglia, combined therapy, case report, neurosurgical intervention
Received: 18 Apr 2025; Accepted: 09 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Liao, Li, Chen, Li, Chen, Zhang and Zheng. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Jiancheng Liao, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
Maoying Zhang, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
XiaoYu Zheng, First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
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