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Pathology of fungal infections of the central nervous system: 17 years' experience from Southern India
Author(s) -
Sundaram C,
Umabala P,
Laxmi V,
Purohit A K,
Prasad V S S V,
Panigrahi M,
Sahu B P,
Sarathi M V,
Kaul S,
Borghain R,
Meena A K,
Jayalakshmi S S,
Suvarna A,
Mohandas S,
Murthy J M K
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
histopathology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.626
H-Index - 124
eISSN - 1365-2559
pISSN - 0309-0167
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2559.2006.02515.x
Subject(s) - cryptococcosis , zygomycosis , autopsy , aspergillosis , medicine , mycosis , pathology , epidemiology , risk factor , diabetes mellitus , central nervous system , retrospective cohort study , biopsy , pathogenesis , granuloma , dermatology , antifungal , immunology , amphotericin b , endocrinology
Aims: To describe the pathology of central nervous system (CNS) fungal infections with particular reference to India. Methods and results: This was a retrospective study from 1988 to 2004 constituting 130 cases. The diagnosis was based on morphology of biopsy/autopsy material. These included aspergillosis ( n = 73), zygomycosis ( n = 40), cryptococcosis ( n = 2), rhodotorulosis ( n = 1), candidiasis ( n = 5), maduramycosis ( n = 1), pheohyphomycosis ( n = 3) and mixed infections ( n = 5). Predisposing risk factors were present in 49 (38%) patients only. The majority of the patients were immunocompetent. The commonest risk factor was diabetes mellitus, the commonest route of infection was from a contiguous site and the commonest pathology was granuloma. Culture positivity was seen in only 31%. Conclusion: Environmental factors in tropical countries such as India play a significant role in the pathogenesis of CNS fungal infections.