Cryptococcal meningoencephalitis brings heavy QoL burden

In HIV-negative people, infection with cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (CM) leads to moderate or severe impairment in at least one aspect of quality of life (QoL), a recent study has found.

The study included 56 previously healthy adults who had confirmed CM infection. Most of the participants (n=46; median age, 51.2 years; 59 percent male) had a central nervous system (CNS) disease, while the remaining 10 did not (median age, 42.9 years; 30 percent male). The Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) tool was used to assess participant QoL.

Both patient subgroups showed high levels of QoL impairments. Sixty-one percent and 50 percent of the CNS and non-CNS participants, respectively, had moderate or severe impairments in at least one QoL domain. A median of one moderately and severely impaired QoL domain was reported in each group.

More specifically, in patients with CNS cryptococcosis, the domains of sleep disturbance and cognitive function were the most affected aspects of QoL, with 55 percent and 52 percent reporting at least mild impairments, respectively.

In the non-CNS cryptococcosis group, at least one patient reported an impairment in all QoL domains. Cognitive function and sleep disturbance were also the most affected aspects of QoL, with 50 percent reporting mild impairments in each domain.

“The findings of this descriptive study emphasize that CM in the previously healthy, HIV-negative population is associated with chronic sequalae that impact patient QOL years following infection,” the researchers said.

“Future prospective studies utilizing patient-reported QOL measures like the Neuro-QoL question battery may thus help to better understand the sequalae of this severe disease and identify predictive biomarkers and therapeutics to improve patient outcomes,” they added.