Coccidioidal meningitis

What it means

A type of fungal meningitis caused by dissemination of coccidioides to basilar meninges.

Coccidioides species are soil-dwelling fungi that are the causative pathogen of coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley fever. Infection occurs from inhalation of fungal spores that become airborne from soil in endemic regions. Sixty percent of infections are asymptomatic. The rate of dissemination from primary infection to extrapulomonary sites is higher in immune-compromised individuals. A common site of dissemination is to the basilar meninges, resulting in coccidioidal meningitis.

Rare diseases that can present with this1

The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.

Part of the broader category