In this retrospective review, we explored the value of other methodologies, since during the study period, CrAg LFA was not available for analysis. (2018), detection of CrAg LFA in serum, CSF, and whole blood shows great sensitivity and specificity. Culture is the gold standard for the diagnosis of Cryptococcus spp. The conventional method for patients with HIV-associated infections is the direct examination of slides stained with India ink and culture of the sample in Sabouraud dextrose agar (SDA). The Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) provides different methods for the diagnosis of CM. is based on mycological, histopathological and serological tests. Currently, the laboratory diagnosis of Cryptococcus spp. is complex and typically involves a combination of symptoms, including headache, fever, cranial neuropathies, mental alteration, lethargy, memory loss and signs of meningeal irritation, confirmed by laboratory testing. The early detection of a Cryptococcal infection is required for optimal treatment and its identification should be given top priority to lower the unacceptable high death rate of this neglected mycosis in Brazil. The clinical signs and symptoms of Cryptococcal meningitis are indistinguishable from those of many other causes of meningitis, especially tubercular meningitis. The examination of cases from regional centers or from the STD/HIV-AIDS Department of the Ministry of Health form the foundation for the diagnosis of these infections. has been reported in the south and southeast regions to have an incidence of 36 cases per 100 hospitalizations in HIV-AIDS patients/year. In cases of neurological infections, Cryptococcus spp. They account for a high incidence of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. In patients with AIDS, pneumocystosis, Cryptococcosis and histoplasmosis are frequent invasive fungal infections (IFIs). In Brazil, studies on neurological diseases in HIV/AIDS patients showed Cryptococcosis to be the second leading cause of death, with a mortality rate of 45–65% (toxoplasmosis was the first and tuberculosis was the third most frequent). The persistent burden of infection suggests that death from Cryptococcal infection remains a marker for failure in the cascade of care for HIV. Although data are scarce for Latin America, this geographic area has the third highest incidence of Cryptococcus spp. Cases of Cryptococcal meningitis have also been reported in South and Southeast Asia. It has been estimated that cryptococcosis accounts for 19% of AIDS-related deaths. In 2014 there was a reduction in the estimated global burden of HIV-associated Cryptococcal meningitis, probably due to the expansion of antiretroviral therapy. In 2014, approximately 223,100 individuals developed CM worldwide, resulting in 181,100 deaths, which represents 15% of all AIDS-related deaths. Cryptococcal meningitis (CM) is an AIDS defining illness and the most common cause of meningitis in adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Cryptococcus neoformans, the main cause of cryptococcosis, is the most common cause of central nervous system (CNS) infection in AIDS patients. įungi are a major contributor to opportunistic infections in those with advanced HIV infection. Despite the gradual decline in HIV/AIDS cases, neurological manifestations of this infection remain common and are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. About 70% of individuals with HIV/AIDS develop neurological disease, and this is the initial manifestation of this infection in 10–20% of cases. The incidence and severity of fungal infections have increased due, in part, to the sequela of viral infections along with an elevated use of immunosuppressive therapies.

India ink staining crytpococcois