Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40841623›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2025

Meningitis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus: a case report.

Yifei Zhang, Yu Ma, Rushuang Yue, Yuan Meng, Yue Jin, Chengwei Yin, Qianmei Zhou, Rong Shi

Abstract readCase Reports
In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yifei Zhang *Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yu Ma *Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Rushuang Yue *Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yuan MengDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Yue JinDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Chengwei YinDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Qianmei ZhouInstitute of Interdisciplinary Integrative Medicine Research, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. tazhou@163.com.
Rong ShiDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China. doctorshi02@126.com.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAspergillus fumigatus is a common pathogen that causes intracranial aspergillosis. A. fumigatus intracranial infection mainly occurs in the brain parenchyma. Head CT or MRI examination showed aspergillous abscess, which is extremely rare to caused meningitis alone. We report a case of aspergillosis meningitis with short-term death.

methodWe utilized the DNBSEQ™ sequencing platform, which employs DNA nanoballs (DNBs) technology. Briefly, DNBs are arrayed on a patterned flow cell, where DNA polymerase catalyzes the incorporation of fluorescently labeled nucleotides during sequencing-by-synthesis. The emitted fluorescence signals are digitally captured and computationally processed to generate high-accuracy base sequence data. CASE PRESENTATION: A 51-year-old woman with a medical history of post-hepatitis B cirrhosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and thyroid carcinoma presented with acute-onset altered mental status. Physical examination revealed positive meningeal signs. Initial neuroimaging studies, including two serial head CT scans and two MRI examinations, showed no evidence of fungal abscess formation in the brain parenchyma. The diagnosis of A. fumigatus meningitis was confirmed through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, including metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and galactomannan (GM) testing. Despite prompt initiation of voriconazole therapy, the patient’s condition deteriorated, resulting in death after 10 days of treatment.

conclusionA. fumigatus meningitis represents a rare but life-threatening infection characterized by diagnostic challenges and alarmingly high mortality rates. Stringent diagnostic vigilance is essential to avoid diagnostic errors in these cases. The PMseq-DR platform, a high-throughput metagenomic sequencing technology for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, provides a valuable diagnostic tool for rapid pathogen identification. For patients presenting with meningitis of unknown etiology following conventional diagnostic workup (including microbial culture, galactomannan assay, and 1-3-β-D-glucan testing), comprehensive CSF pathogen analysis becomes critical. In such scenarios, prompt implementation of high-throughput sequencing is recommended to enable accurate diagnosis and timely therapeutic intervention.

Indexed as

AspergillosisAspergillus fumigatusMeningitis, FungalAntifungal AgentsFatal OutcomeFemaleHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMiddle AgedTomography, X-Ray ComputedVoriconazoleAntifungal AgentsVoriconazoleAspergillous abscessAspergillus fumigatusMeningitis

Identifiers

PMID40841623
PMCPMC12369236

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.