Case report of long-term survival in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and cryptococcal meningitis.

In the era before protease inhibitors were available, the great majority of patients with AIDS died within five years of the diagnosis. This grim reputation may cause both physician and patient to give up hope prematurely when antiretroviral therapy fails. We report a patient who survived five years after the diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis and AIDS. Although there are now combinations of antiretroviral drugs available that can delay disease progression and extend the lives of AIDS patients, these are associated with a significant failure rate. It is thus important to be aware of the potential to extend life in patients even when antiretroviral therapy is not effective.