Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System in Children

Matthew W McCarthy; Darius Kalasauskas; Vidmantas Petraitis; Ruta Petraitiene; Thomas J Walsh

doi:10.1093/jpids/pix059

Fungal Infections of the Central Nervous System in Children

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2017 Sep 1;6(3):e123-e133. doi: 10.1093/jpids/pix059.

Authors

Matthew W McCarthy¹, Darius Kalasauskas^{2

3}, Vidmantas Petraitis^{3

4}, Ruta Petraitiene^{3

4}, Thomas J Walsh^{3

5}

Affiliations

¹ Division of General Internal Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University, New York, New York.
² Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany.
³ Transplantation-Oncology Infectious Diseases Program, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University, New York, New York.
⁴ Institute of Infectious Disease and Pathogenic Microbiology, Prienai, Lithuania.
⁵ Departments of Pediatrics, and Microbiology & Immunology, Weill Cornell Medicine of Cornell University, New York, New York.

PMID: 28903523
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/pix059

Abstract

Although uncommon in children, fungal infections of the central nervous system can be devastating and difficult to treat. A better understanding of basic mycologic, immunologic, and pharmacologic processes has led to important advances in the diagnosis and management of these diseases, but their mortality rates remain unacceptably high. In this focused review, we examine the epidemiology and clinical features of the most common fungal pathogens of the central nervous system in children and explore recent advances in diagnosis and antifungal therapy.

Keywords: CNS; Candida meningoencephalitis; aspergillosis; cryptococcosis; fungal infections; mucormycosis.

© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
Aspergillosis / diagnosis
Aspergillosis / drug therapy
Aspergillosis / epidemiology
Aspergillosis / microbiology
Blastomycosis / diagnosis
Blastomycosis / drug therapy
Blastomycosis / epidemiology
Blastomycosis / microbiology
Candidiasis / diagnosis
Candidiasis / drug therapy
Candidiasis / epidemiology
Candidiasis / microbiology
Central Nervous System / immunology
Central Nervous System / microbiology*
Central Nervous System Fungal Infections* / diagnosis
Central Nervous System Fungal Infections* / drug therapy
Central Nervous System Fungal Infections* / epidemiology
Central Nervous System Fungal Infections* / microbiology
Child
Coccidioidomycosis / diagnosis
Coccidioidomycosis / drug therapy
Coccidioidomycosis / epidemiology
Coccidioidomycosis / microbiology
Cryptococcosis / diagnosis
Cryptococcosis / drug therapy
Cryptococcosis / epidemiology
Cryptococcosis / microbiology
Fungi / classification
Fungi / pathogenicity*
Histoplasmosis / diagnosis
Histoplasmosis / drug therapy
Histoplasmosis / epidemiology
Histoplasmosis / microbiology
Humans
Mucormycosis / diagnosis
Mucormycosis / drug therapy
Mucormycosis / epidemiology
Mucormycosis / microbiology

Substances

Antifungal Agents