Diagnostic Challenges of Cryptococcus neoformans in an Immunocompetent Individual Masquerading as Chronic Hydrocephalus

Table 1

Serial lumbar punctures.

	1	2	3	4
Opening pressure, cm H2O (mL removed)	17 (?)	13 ()	13 ()	16 ()
Glucose	19	23	34	47
Protein	300	248	153	158
RBC	46, 0	54, 34	180, 13	29, 0
WBCs	235, 188	213, 303	240, 206	67, 175
% lymphocytes	60, 76	90, 88	93, 95	X, 89
Cryptoantigen	−	−	−	−
Fungal culture	−	/	/	+

1: performed during initial admission, 2: performed 8 mo later, 3: performed 2 days later, and 4: performed 6 days later. “?”: volume of CSF removed during first lumbar puncture was not documented. “X”: cell count for tube 1 not ordered. Pairs of data represent cell count/differential for separate tubes (typically tubes 1 and 4). Reactive (+) and nonreactive (−) cryptococcal antigen assays; fungal culture growth denoted by (+) or absence of growth (−); “/” indicates not performed.