Amaurosis súbita asociada a meningoencefalitis criptocócica

background: cryptococcal disease is one of the most common opportunistic infection in aids patients and cryptoccocal meningitis is the most serious neurological form. aim: although the affection of the visual pathway is rare, it is interesting to analyze the types of visual involvement related to cryptococcal infection, which prognosis is almost irreversible. patient and method: we present a 43-year-old patient with aids and remitting cryptoccocal meningoencephalitis who developed an acute and bilateral blindness during the third episode. the cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed proteins 3,35 gr/l, glucose 0,13 gr/l and 225 cells. mr showed difuse leptomeningitis, ventriculitis and optic neuritis. after treatment with anphotericin, the patient recovered to basal conditions, although only mild visual improvement was achieved. conclusion: sudden blindness and mr findings defined a bilateral optical neuritis and an optoquiasmatic arachnoiditis, which is the most infrequent form of cyptoccoccus related blindness.