Voriconazole in an infant with cryptococcal meningitis

Cryptococcus neoformans （C. neoformans） is the most common cause of fungal meningitis worldwide.1 Cryptococcal meningitis is an opportunistic infection commonly found in immunocompromised hosts, especially HIV-infected adults. It also occurs in apparently immunocompetent individuals. Rarely has it been reported in children, and it is almost nonexistent in infants. Voriconazole is a member of a second generation of antifungal triazoles with broad spectrum antifungal activity, oral and parenteral bioavailability and a favorable safety profile in adults.3 This patient shows improved in vitro activity against C. neoformans when compared to fluconazole and it has been used successfully in about half the patients with refractory cryptococcosis.4 However, the efficacy and safety of voriconazole as a antifungal agent in children with cryptococcal meningitis have not been well assessed, This report described cryptococcal meningitis in a 13-day-old premature neonate who recovered without overt toxicity after voriconazole was added to an antifungal regimen that included amphotericin B and flucytosine. We focused on the response of this child with cryptococcal meningitis to voriconazole.