Abstract |
Flucytosine (5-FC) monotherapy for cryptococcosis is not advocated because drug resistance emerges during therapy. Reported documentation of this widely accepted belief is surprisingly scarce. Therefore, we reviewed our experience with 5-FC monotherapy for 27 patients treated between 1968 and 1973. Patients were selected on the basis of criteria associated with good prognosis. In this group, 5-FC monotherapy resulted in cure in eight cases and improvement in two. Overall, response was seen in 10 (43%) of 23 evaluable patients. Therapy failed for 13 patients, including 5 who relapsed, 2 who had partial responses, and 6 without response. Resistance was noted to have developed in isolates from six (50%) of 12 patients for whom therapy failed. Although the 57% failure rate associated with 5-FC alone precludes its use as monotherapy, our study did show that this treatment was well tolerated and that failure was not invariably associated with development of resistance.
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Authors | D R Hospenthal, J E Bennett |
Journal | Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America
(Clin Infect Dis)
Vol. 27
Issue 2
Pg. 260-4
(Aug 1998)
ISSN: 1058-4838 [Print] United States |
PMID | 9709874
(Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)
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Chemical References |
- Antifungal Agents
- Flucytosine
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Topics |
- Adult
- Aged
- Antifungal Agents
(therapeutic use)
- Cryptococcosis
(drug therapy)
- Cryptococcus neoformans
(drug effects)
- Drug Resistance, Microbial
- Female
- Flucytosine
(therapeutic use)
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Treatment Outcome
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