HIV Infection Mimicking Autoimmune Disorder

In 2007, a 13-year-old girl with symptoms resembling an autoimmune disorder, including cough, fever, fatigue, photosensitivity, and alopecia, was diagnosed with HIV and disseminated cryptococcosis after presenting with raised intracranial tension. Despite having no apparent risk factors for HIV, her CD4 count was critically low at 17/µL, and she tested positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. The case was challenging due to the atypical presentation of HIV, leading to initial diagnostic confusion. The management of her cryptococcal meningitis followed the Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines, which included daily lumbar punctures to alleviate intracranial pressure. However, the patient did not respond to antiretroviral and antifungal therapy, and her condition worsened, resulting in her death after 20 days of treatment. This case underscores the need to consider HIV in differential diagnoses, even without typical risk factors, and the difficulties in managing complications like cryptococcal meningitis with raised intracranial pressure.