Cryptococcal meningitis; a rare cause of headache in lupus: case report and literature review

Abstract

Microbial infections are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Cryptococcal Meningitis (CM) infection is often underestimated and misdiagnosed in patients with SLE. This partly is due to its nonspecific clinical presentations at the early stage of the disease. It commonly presents with fever and headache and has a high mortality rate in SLE patients. They are a paucity of case reports in literature worldwide. We present a case of a lupus patient who presented with confusion and in the background of chronic headache and partially treated meningitis which turned out to be cryptococcal meningitis. The case illustrates the need to have a high index of suspicion so as to initiate early treatment and avert mortality.

Key words: Systemic lupus erythematosus, Cryptococcal meningitis, Kenya