Disease
Cryptococcal meningitis
Subacute AIDS meningitis, India ink positive
krip-toh-KOK-ul
High-yield clue
Subacute headache and fever with high CSF pressure in a patient with CD4 below 100, plus a positive India ink or CSF cryptococcal antigen (CrAg), is the classic clue.
Overview
A fungal meningoencephalitis from Cryptococcus, chiefly in advanced HIV, studied for its indolent onset, raised intracranial pressure, and encapsulated-yeast CSF clues.
Classification
- Fungal meningoencephalitis syndrome
- Cryptococcus neoformans (encapsulated yeast)
- AIDS opportunistic infection
- Inhalation followed by CNS spread
Lab & identification clues
- India ink encapsulated budding yeast vocabulary
- CSF cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) latex agglutination
- Elevated CSF opening pressure vocabulary
Associations
- At-risk: AIDS with CD4 below 100 cells/uL
- Environmental exposure to pigeon droppings and soil
- Subacute headache, fever, and altered mentation vocabulary
- Raised intracranial pressure complication
Commonly confused with
- Tuberculous meningitis
- Bacterial meningitis
- Toxoplasma encephalitis
Your notes
Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.