Evaluations
Comprehensive clinical and laboratory evaluations, including
CSF fungal culture and cryptococcal antigen titers were
performed at baseline and at weeks 2 and 10. A successful
mycologic outcome was defined by a negative CSF culture at
weeks 2 and 10. For those patients who were not available for
lumbar puncture (LP) or died before the evaluation at week 2
or 10, the CSF culture was considered as positive. A successful
clinical outcome was defined by improvement or no variation
in the severity of headache, fever and meningeal signs at
week 2 and by their absence at week 10. For those patients
who died during the study, the clinical outcome was considered
unsuccessful. A successful mycologic and clinical outcome
was defined by the association of successful mycologic
and clinical outcomes at weeks 2 and 10, respectively.