Inclusion Criteria

Concurrent Medication:

Allowed:

• Currently approved antiviral therapy.
• Maintenance therapy for cytomegalovirus retinitis or toxoplasmosis.
• Rifampin.
• Isoniazid.
• Dilantin or barbiturates if investigator agrees to rigorously monitor anticonvulsant drug levels.
• Coumarin-type anticoagulants if investigator agrees to rigorously monitor prothrombin time.
• Prophylactic treatment for Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP).

Concurrent Treatment:

Allowed:

• Local radiotherapy for mucocutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma.

Prior Medication:

Allowed:

• Amphotericin B, up to 1 mg/kg, during the previous 7 days.

Patients must be HIV positive by 2 methodologies and have either primary cryptococcal meningitis with no prior anti-cryptococcal therapy or relapsed disease after prior therapy.

• Prior therapy for cryptococcal meningitis is limited to approved drugs.
• Written informed consent either from patient or patient's parent or legal guardian is required.

Exclusion Criteria

Co-existing Condition:

Patients with the following conditions or symptoms are excluded:

• History of hypersensitivity to imidazole or azole compounds.
• Central nervous system disease.
• Acute opportunistic infection.
• Underlying conditions that in the opinion of the investigator could preclude assessment of response.

Concurrent Medication:

Excluded:

• Systemic antifungal drugs other than study drug.
• Any investigational drug other than treatment IND drugs.
• Oral hypoglycemic agents.
• Oral contraceptives.
• Cytotoxic chemotherapy.

Patients with the following are excluded:

• Unable to take oral medications.
• Concurrent central nervous system disease which in opinion of investigator would interfere with assessment of response.
• Concurrent acute opportunistic infection requiring therapy (patients who develop an acute opportunistic infection after initiation of study medication may remain on study medication).

Prior Medication:

Excluded within 7 days of study entry:

• Amphotericin B, > 1 mg/kg.