Active clinical trials for "Meningitis, Cryptococcal"

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fluconazole as treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis in AIDS patients. Both newly diagnosed and relapsed patients are eligible.

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fluconazole as an intravenous dose as initial treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis followed by oral therapy in AIDS and non-AIDS patients. Lack of satisfactory response will allow increase of dose. Both newly diagnosed and relapsed patients are eligible.

To compare the safety and effectiveness of fluconazole and amphotericin B, alone or in combination with flucytosine, as treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis.

To compare the safety and effectiveness of fluconazole and amphotericin B, alone or in combination with flucytosine, as treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis.

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to compare early versus standard timing of initiation of antiretroviral therapy (ART) with respect to clearance of Cryptococcus neoformans from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) among HIV-infected adults with Cryptococcal Meningitis. The investigators hypothesize that early ART mediates more rapid clearance of C. neoformans from CSF, as manifested by a greater rate of decrease in C. neoformans colony forming units (CFUs) during the first 28 days after initiating antifungal treatment. Secondary hypotheses are that recovery of pathogen specific cellular immunity directed at C. neoformans, as manifested by increases in the number and function of C. neoformans-specific peripheral blood mononuclear cells is associated with 1) ART and 2) pathogen clearance. In addition, patients randomized to the intervention arm will have more rapid clearance of antigen levels in CSF and serum and will have a lower incidence of grade 3 and 4 Adverse events.

To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of fluconazole as treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis in patients who have had an unsatisfactory response to or have experienced unacceptable toxicity with amphotericin B.

To evaluate and estimate the safety and efficacy of the combination of fluconazole and flucytosine as treatment for acute cryptococcal meningitis in patients with AIDS. Fluconazole and flucytosine have different mechanisms of action. Since fluconazole has not been associated with hematologic suppression and does not produce renal impairment that can result in higher serum flucytosine levels, this combination may be better tolerated than is amphotericin B plus flucytosine.

To evaluate the safety of escalating doses of RMP-7 administered in persons with HIV infection and cryptococcal meningitis and to determine the MTD of the drug. To evaluate the pharmacokinetics, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration, of amphotericin B when administered with RMP-7.

To compare the safety and effectiveness of a new drug, fluconazole, with that of the usual therapy, amphotericin B, in the prevention of a relapse of cryptococcal meningitis (CM) in patients with AIDS who have been successfully treated for acute CM in the last 6 months. Cryptococcal meningitis is a life-threatening infectious complication of AIDS. Because relapse after treatment occurs in over 50 percent of cases, chronic maintenance therapy with intravenous (IV) amphotericin B is usually given. However, amphotericin B is not always effective, has toxic effects, and must be given by the intravenous route. Fluconazole is an antifungal agent that can be given orally and has been shown to be effective against cryptococcal infections in animals and against acute CM in a few AIDS patients. Also, the side effects experienced by over 2000 patients or volunteers given fluconazole have seldom been severe enough to require withdrawal of the drug.

To evaluate the effect of corticosteroids on reducing elevated intracranial pressure in cryptococcal meningitis. To evaluate the safety of corticosteroids in patients with cryptococcal meningitis and intracranial hypertension. In AIDS patients with cryptococcal meningitis, a correlation has been found between early death and elevated intracranial pressure. Since dexamethasone has been found to reduce intracranial pressure resulting from other forms of meningitis, it may be of benefit in AIDS patients with cryptococcal meningitis.