CANDIDA MENINGITIS IN A PAEDIATRIC AIDS PATIENT– A CASE REPORT

Abstract

The impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic in the health of children in sub-Saharan Africa has been severe. HIV transmission has played a prominent role in the African epidemic and child survival. Children with advanced HIV infection are vulnerable to infections because of the weakened immune system and Fungal infection is a common opportunistic infection in people living with HIV. Fungal infections are important causes of morbidity and mortality in immune-compromised children. They constitute one of the most tenacious groups of opportunistic infections complicating paediatric AIDS. Mucosal candidiasis is the most prevalent opportunistic infection in children infected with HIV. Candida species have evolved into one of the leading causes of noscomial blood stream infections. Non albican Candida spp. which tend to be more resistant to antifungal agents increasingly cause invasive and superficial infections. Although superficial fungal infections are the most common presentations, Candida spp can disseminate and produce other types of infections including meningitis, renal, splenic or hepatic abscesses, endophtalmitis, osteomyelitis or invasive dermatitis. Although Cryptococcosis caused by Cryptoptococcus neoformans is the most common fungal systemic infection associated with HIV/AIDS and the most frequent illness caused by this fungus is cryptococcal meningitis, other fungal infections affecting the central nervous system which are presently being reported. We report a case of Candida meningitis that did not respond to antibiotics. A delay in the recognition of systemic Candida infections and the initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy often leads to significant morbidity and mortality in high risk individual.