Clinical analysis of non-AIDS patients pathologically diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis

Cryptococcal Pleuritis in an Immunocompetent Patient: A Case Report and Literature Review

Cryptococcosis, primarily an opportunistic infection, often occurs in immunocompromised patients but can also affect immunocompetent individuals. Cryptococcosis typically manifests in the lungs, but pleurisy is rare, particularly in immunocompetent patients. This report details a case of cryptococcal pleuritis in a 74-year-old immunocompetent male with a history of heart failure, presenting initially with pleural effusion. Diagnostic challenges arose due to the initial absence of intrapulmonary lesions. The diagnosis was eventually established through a surgical biopsy and tissue culture, revealing Cryptococcus neoformans. This case underscores the complexity of diagnosing cryptococcal infections, particularly in immunocompetent patients, and highlights the need for considering cryptococcosis in differential diagnoses of lymphocyte-predominant exudative pleural effusions.

Cryptococcosis with pulmonary cavitation in an immunocompetent child: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) rarely occurs in immunocompetent children.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 13-year-old boy was admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University in February 2023 with complaints of cough and chest pain. Physical examination showed slightly moist rales in the right lung. Chest computed tomography (CT) suggested a lung lesion and cavitation. Blood routine test, lymphocyte subsets, immunoglobulin, and complement tests indicated that the immune system was normal. However, the serum cryptococcal antigen test was positive. Next-generation sequencing revealed Cryptococcus infection. The child was diagnosed with PC and was discharged after treating with fluconazole 400 mg. Four months later, chest CT showed that the lung lesion diminished, and reexamination of serum cryptococcal antigen test turned positive.

CONCLUSION

PC should be considered in an immunocompetent child with pulmonary cavities with nonspecific symptoms.

Diffuse Alveolar Hemorrhage Caused by Disseminated Cryptococcosis in a Patient With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

A teenage girl with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was admitted with fever, dry cough, and dyspnea on exertion. Chest computed tomography revealed bilateral diffuse infiltration and swelling of the mediastinal lymph nodes. The bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was light red, suggesting diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (DAH). Therefore, glucocorticoid pulse therapy was initiated. However, blood and BAL fluid cultures showed the growth of Cryptococcus neoformans. The patient was diagnosed with disseminated cryptococcosis. The patient was treated with liposomal amphotericin B and flucytosine; the prednisolone dose was rapidly tapered. Infections should be thoroughly ruled out in patients with SLE and DAH.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis masquerading as lung metastasis in gynecologic cancers: Two case reports

RATIONALE

Pulmonary cryptococcal infections occur mainly in immunocompromised individuals, such as those with malignancies. Preoperative diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) can be challenging for both clinicians and radiologists because of nonspecific clinical manifestations and variable radiologic features, as it is easily misdiagnosed as metastatic lung cancer.

PATIENT CONCERNS

In case 1, a 76-year-old woman with a history of cervical cancer presented with lung nodules detected on chest computed tomography (CT) 13 months after completing concurrent chemoradiotherapy. In case 2, a 56-year-old woman with a history of ovarian cancer presented with pulmonary nodules on chest CT 19 months after completing chemotherapy. Both patients were clinically asymptomatic, and tumor markers were not elevated.

DIAGNOSES

In case 1, chest CT revealed multiple enhanced nodules with lobulated margins in the left lower lobe, and positron emission tomography (PET)-CT showed uptake in the nodule with a standardized uptake value of 3.7. In case 2, chest CT revealed several nodules in the right upper lobe abutting the right major fissure, and PET-CT revealed fluorodeoxyglucose uptake in the nodules. Pathology revealed granulomatous inflammation with cryptococcal infection, and mucicarmine and periodic acid-Schiff staining confirmed cryptococcal infection in both cases.

INTERVENTIONS

Presumptive diagnoses of lung metastases were made in both cases and thoracoscopic lobectomy was performed. Postoperatively, the patients received antifungal therapy with fluconazole.

OUTCOMES

PC was differentially diagnosed and effectively managed. The patients remained disease-free for both PC and gynecological cancers during subsequent follow-ups.

LESSONS

Recognition that PC can mimic lung metastasis is important for managing gynecological cancers. PC should be considered in the differential diagnosis when single or multiple nodules are detected on chest radiography without elevation of tumor markers in patients with gynecological cancer.

Cryptococcosis in Southern China: Insights from a Six-Year Retrospective Study in Eastern Guangdong

Objective

Cryptococcosis is a fatal infection that can affect both immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, and it is little understood in China's various regions. This research aimed to look at the epidemiology, risk factors, and antifungal susceptibility pattern of Cryptococcus neoformans in eastern Guangdong, China.

Methods

A six-year (2016-2022) retrospective study was conducted at Meizhou People's Hospital, China. Demographical, clinical, and laboratory data of cryptococcal patients were collected from hospital records and statistically analyzed using the chi-square and ANOVA tests.

Results

Overall, 170 cryptococcal infections were recorded, of which meningitis accounted for 78 (45.88%), cryptococcemia for 50 (29.41%), and pneumonia for 42 (24.7%). The number of cases increased 8-fold during the study duration. The median age of patients was 58 years (Inter quartile range: 47-66), and the high proportion of cases was from the male population (n = 121, 71.17%). The underlying diseases were identified only in 60 (35.29%) patients, of which 26 (15.29%) were severely immunocompromised, and 26 (15.29%) others were mildly immunocompromised. A statistically significant difference was reported for chronic renal failure, and anemia (p < 0.05) persisted in cases of three infection types. A high number of non-wild type (NWT) isolates were found against amphotericin B (n=13/145, 8.96%), followed by itraconazole (n=7/136, 5.15%) and voriconazole (n=4/158, 2.53%). Only six isolates (3.79%) were multidrug-resistant, four of which were from cryptococcemia patients. Compared to meningitis and pneumonia, cryptococcemia revealed a higher percentage of NWT isolates (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

In high-risk populations, cryptococcal infections require ongoing monitoring and management.

Diagnostic accuracy of cryptococcal antigen test in pulmonary cryptococcosis: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test was proposed as a rapid diagnostic tool to identify cryptococcal meningitis in patients suffering from AIDS. Several studies have demonstrated its diagnostic performance in cryptococcal meningitis. However, the diagnostic performance of the CrAg test in serum or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis remains uncertain. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review is to summarise the evidence concerning diagnostic performance of the CrAg test in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Databases such as PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.gov, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, Wanfang Database and China National Knowledge Infrastructure will be searched systematically. The titles and abstracts will be reviewed by two independent reviewers. The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies 2 tool will be used to evaluate the risk of bias and clinical applicability of each study. Potential sources of heterogeneity will be investigated through visual inspection of the paired forest plots and summary receiver operating characteristic plots. The pooled summary statistics for the area under the curve, sensitivities, specificities, likelihood ratios and diagnostic ORs with 95% CI will be reported.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The underlying study is based on published articles thus does not require ethical approval. The findings of the systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and disseminated in various scientific conferences and seminars.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022373321.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing contributes to the diagnosis of mixed pulmonary infection: a case report

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) and mixed pulmonary infection are difficult to be diagnosed due to the non-specificity and their overlapping clinical manifestations. In terms of the clinical diagnosis of PC and mixed pulmonary infection, conventional tests have limitations such as a long detection period, a limited range of pathogens, and low sensitivity. Metagenomics next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is a nascent and powerful method that can detect pathogens without culture, to diagnose known and unexplained infections in reduced time.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 43-year-old female was admitted to the hospital after suffering from a cough for one month. At the time of admission, a contrast-enhanced chest CT revealed multiple nodules and plaques in her right lung, as well as the formation of cavities. The blood routine assays showed evidently increased white blood cell count (mainly neutrophils), CRP, and ESR, which suggested she was in the infection phase. The serum CrAg-LFA test showed a positive result. Initially, she was diagnosed with an unexplained pulmonary infection. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected for microbial culture, immunological tests and the mNGS. Microbial culture and immunological tests were all negative, while mNGS detected Corynebacterium striatum, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Cryptococcus neoformans. The diagnosis was revised to PC and bacterial pneumonia. Lung infection lesions were healed after she received targeted anti-infection therapy with mezlocillin and fluconazole. In a follow-up after 2 months, the patient's symptoms vanished.

CONCLUSIONS

Here, we demonstrated that mNGS was capable of accurately distinguishing Cryptococcus from M. tuberculosis in pulmonary infection, and notably mNGS was capable of swiftly and precisely detecting pathogens in mixed bacterial and fungal pulmonary infection. Furthermore, the results of mNGS also have the potential to adjust anti-infective therapies.

Comparison of the clinical manifestations and chest CT findings of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objective

The purpose of our study was to perform a meta-analysis and systematic review to compare differences in clinical manifestations and chest computed tomography (CT) findings between immunocompetent and immunocompromised pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) patients.

Methods

An extensive search for relevant studies was performed using the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Sciences databases from inception to September 30, 2021. We included studies that compared the clinical manifestations and chest CT findings between immunocompetent and immunocompromised PC patients. Study bias and quality assessment were performed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale (NOS).

Results

Nine studies involving 248 immunocompromised and 276 immunocompetent PC patients were included in our analysis. The NOS score of each eligible study was above 5, indicating moderate bias. The proportion of elderly patients (> = 60 years old) in the immunosuppressed group was significantly higher than that in the immunocompetent group (OR = 2.90, 95% CI (1.31–6.43), Z = 2.63, p = 0.01). Fever (OR = 7.10, 95% CI (3.84–13.12), Z = 6.25, p < 0.000) and headache (OR = 6.92, 95% CI (2.95–16.26), Z = 4.44, p < 0.000) were more common in immunosuppressed patients. According to thin-section CT findings, lesions were more frequently distributed in the upper lobe (OR = 1.90, 95% CI (1.07–3.37), Z = 2.2, p = 0.028) in immunocompromised individuals. The proportions of patients with cavity sign (OR = 5.11, 95% CI (2.96–8.83), Z = 5.86, p = 0.00), ground-glass attenuation (OR = 5.27, 95% CI (1.60–17.35), Z = 2.73, p = 0.01), and mediastinal lymph node enlargement (OR = 2.41, 95% CI (1.12–5.20), Z = 2.24, p = 0.03) were significantly higher in immunocompromised patients.

Conclusion

No significant differences in nonspecific respiratory symptoms were found between immunocompromised and immunocompetent PC patients. Nevertheless, fever and headache were more common in immunocompromised patients. Among the CT findings, cavity, ground-glass attenuation, and mediastinal lymph node enlargement were more common in immunocompromised individuals.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-022-02175-9.

Metagenomic next-generation sequencing assists in the diagnosis of Cryptococcus pneumonia: Case series and literature review

Background

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) was once thought to occur only in patients with immune deficiencies, such as tested positive for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). However, in recent years, it has been discovered that more than half of the patients with PC in our nation are individuals with normal immune function. As more and more PC cases are recorded, our diagnosis and treatment approaches, as well as our understanding of PC, are gradually improving. In reality, most PC patients still have a high incidence of misdiagnosis on their initial visit. It is primarily linked to the diverse clinical manifestations, atypical imaging findings, and inaccurate diagnostic approaches.

Methods

The research was conducted from 2019 to 2020. We performed traditional microbiological testing and mNGS on sample from patients with fever of Pulmonary nodules or lung infections. Furthermore, we collected patients' baseline information, clinical features, laboratory and imaging examination results, diagnosis, treatment and outcome. In the end, we confirmed three cases of PC using biopsy and mNGS.

Conclusion

Our data demonstrates that mNGS can be utilized as an auxiliary method for PC diagnosis. Early mNGS aids in the identification of pathogens, enabling early diagnosis and treatment, as well as a reduction in the rate of misdiagnosis and illness progression.

Chest Imaging in Systemic Endemic Mycoses

Endemic fungal infections are responsible for high rates of morbidity and mortality in certain regions of the world. The diagnosis and management remain a challenge, and the reason could be explained by the lack of disease awareness, variability of symptoms, and insidious and often overlooked clinical presentation. Imaging findings are nonspecific and frequently misinterpreted as other more common infectious or malignant diseases. Patient demographics and clinical and travel history are important clues that may lead to a proper diagnosis. The purpose of this paper is to review the presentation and differential diagnosis of endemic mycoses based on the most common chest imaging findings.

Clinical Diagnosis, Treatment, and Laboratory Detection of 50 Cases of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis

Objective

This study retrospectively analyzed the clinical diagnosis, treatment process, and laboratory test data of patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis to improve the understanding and diagnosis and treatment ability of the disease.

Methods

Patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis diagnosed in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from October 2003 to July 2021 were selected, and their medical records were consulted. The general data, clinical manifestations, laboratory examinations, imaging characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment methods were studied. The software SPSS 22 was used for statistical analysis.

Results

A total of 50 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis were included in the study. The ratio of male to female was 1 : 1. The average age was 53.56 ± 11.99 years with a range of 27-82 years. Grouping the patients by age, with 10 years as an age group, we found that 40-60 years was the high-incidence age group. Two patients (4%) had a history of bird contact, and 18 patients (36%) had at least one underlying conditions. Hypertension and cough were the most common underlying condition and clinical manifestation, respectively. The main admission diagnoses were lung shadow (19/50, 38%) and chest/lung mass (15/50, 30%). In the imaging findings, the most common type of lesions was nodule/nodule shadow (29/69, 42.03%). Lesion distribution in the lower lobe, single lobe, and right lung was more frequent than that in the upper lobe, multilobes, and left lung, respectively. Burr sign (12/43, 27.91%) was the most common concomitant sign. Pulmonary ventilatory defect was found in 7 cases. Laboratory test results were largely nonspecific. The pathological examination showed granuloma, with 47 cases (94%) confirmed by postoperative biopsy. Two cases (4%) were confirmed by serology. One case (2%) was diagnosed with Cryptococcus smear. 43 cases (86%) were treated with simple surgical resection, 6 cases (12%) were treated with antifungal drugs, and 1 case (2%) was transferred to another hospital for suspicion of pulmonary tuberculosis.

Conclusions

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is more common in the middle-aged and elderly, and the clinical specificity is low. It can occur in people with normal or impaired immune function. The main clinical and imaging manifestation is cough and pulmonary nodules, which are very easy 5to be misdiagnosed. Surgical resection is the primary treatment.

Follow-Up of Surgical or Nonsurgical Patients with Pulmonary Cryptococcosis: A Real-World Study

Background

Surgical and medical treatments are applied to pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) in the real world, while the prognosis of different therapies is uncertain. This study investigated diagnosis, real-world therapy, follow-up outcomes, and prognosis factors, aiming to deepen our understanding of PC.

Methods

Patients pathologically diagnosed with PC were retrospectively reviewed and followed up. Further comparisons and subgroup analyses were conducted in surgical and nonsurgical treatment individuals. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression methods were used to explore the risk factors associated with treatment failure.

Results

One hundred and sixty-three patients were included in this study, of whom 92 underwent surgical removal of VATS or open lung surgery (68 of them received postoperative antifungal treatment) and 71 got antifungal drugs only. Compared with nonsurgical patients, surgical patients were more immunocompetent (73 [79.3%] cases vs 33 [46.5%]), showed milder symptoms and more limited pulmonary lesions. Although they had instant treatment response owing to lesions resection, there is no significant advantage in the rate of treatment failure. Multivariable regression showed independent predictive factors associated with treatment failure were polymorphonuclear (PMN)>6.30*10⁹/L, albumin (Alb) <40g/L and antifungal dosage <400mg/d. Further analysis among patients with different immune statuses or symptoms demonstrated that sufficient antifungal dosage could reduce the rate of treatment failure.

Conclusion

PC showed variable and nonspecific clinical features. PC patients with limited nodules/masses and mild symptoms often led to misdiagnosis and unnecessary lung resections. The potential risk factors including higher PMN and hypoalbuminemia could help clinicians to identify PC patients with poor treatment efficiency at an early stage. To note, sufficient antifungal dosage may improve the treatment outcomes.

Development of SERS-based immunoassay for the detection of cryptococcosis biomarker

The surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) technique has displayed a broad application prospect in disease diagnosis owing to its high sensitivity, fast responsiveness, and high specificity. In this study, we developed a SERS-based immunoassay for the detection of cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide (glucuronoxylomannan, GXM), which is an important biomarker of cryptococcosis. The coupled localized surface plasmon resonance effect between magnetic SERS substrates and SERS tags gave rise to an enhanced Raman signal upon the formation of sandwich complexes, which contributes to the sensitive and specific detection of GXM. As a result, the developed method provided a lower limit of detection (1.25 ng/mL) than conventional methods, such as latex agglutination, lateral flow assay, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Additionally, a recovery experiment was performed to detect GXM in human serum, which also validated the potential advantages of a SERS-based immunoassay in the clinical diagnosis of cryptococcosis.

Clinical characteristics and image features of pulmonary cryptococcosis: a retrospective analysis of 50 cases in a Chinese hospital

Objective

To investigate the clinical manifestations and imaging characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis, and discuss its guidance in diagnosing.

Methods

The clinical data of patients diagnosed with cryptococcosis in our hospital from January 2014 to May 2020 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the immunocompromised group and the immunocompetent group. The symptomatic features, laboratory examination, imaging manifestations, and curative effect were analyzed.

Results

The most common symptoms of patients were cough and sputum production, followed by fever. The immunocompetent group has a significantly higher accident rate of cough and fever than the immunocompromised group, while the immunocompromised group has a significantly higher accident rate of headache and dizziness (P < 0.05). The positive rate of serum cryptococcal capsular antigen (CrAg) test of the two groups were 83.33% and 86.96%, respectively. While the positive rate of CrAg test in cerebrospinal fluid of the immunocompromised group was significantly higher than that of the immunocompetent group (P < 0.05). The lesions of pulmonary cryptococcosis were predominantly present in the lower part of the lung periphery and significantly distributed in the right lung (P < 0.05). The most common imaging finding of pulmonary cryptococcosis was halo sign (64.58%), followed by multiple nodules, and trachea sign was significantly more common in the immunocompetent group.

Conclusions

Cryptococcosis has an insidious onset, which can infect healthy people as well. Conducting a CrAg test is good for screening and diagnosing cryptococcosis. We should be alert for the high risk of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis in patients with compromised immune function.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12890-022-01930-2.

Comparison of CT findings and histopathological characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is a common fungal infectious disease, and infection can occur in patients with any immune function. To better understand PC, we compared the CT findings and histopathological results in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients. The clinical data of 68 patients with PC were collected retrospectively and divided into the immunocompetent group and immunocompromised group. The clinical characteristics, CT manifestations and histopathological characteristics of the two groups of patients were compared. Forty-two patients (61.8%) were immunocompetent, and 26 patients (38.2%) were immunocompromised. Compared with immunocompromised patients, 57.14% (24/42) of immunocompetent patients were asymptomatic (p = 0.002). Compared with immunocompetent patients, cough (14/26, 53.9%) and fever (13/26, 50.0%) were the main symptoms in immunocompromised patients (p = 0.044, p = 0.007). Nodular lesions (97.6%, 41/42) were the most common CT type in immunocompetent patients, and the CT characteristic was a single lesion (25/42, 59.5%); the main histopathological type was nodular fibrogranuloma (30/42, 71.4%), and the main histopathological characteristic was inflammatory granuloma (31/42, 73.81%) formed by macrophage phagocytosis of Cryptococcus. Consolidation (15/26, 57.7%) was more common in the CT type of immunocompromised patients. Multiple lesions (24/26, 92.31%), air bronchial signs (19/26, 73.081%) and cavities (9/26, 34.62%) were the main CT characteristics. The mucinous colloid type (19/26, 73.1%) was its main histopathological type, which was mainly characterized by a small amount of surrounding inflammatory cell infiltration (17/26, 65.4%). There were significant differences in the classification and characteristics of CT and pathology between the two groups (p < 0.05). Through the CT manifestations and histopathological characteristics of PC under different immune function states, it was found that immune function has a significant impact on the CT manifestations and histopathological characteristics of patients with PC.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis misdiagnosed as lung cancer in a man with normal immune function: A case report

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection of cryptococcus both in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients, who suffered from HIV infection, organ transplantation, diabetes mellitus, corticosteroid or immunosuppressive therapy, and malignancy. Pulmonary cryptococcosis is the commonest location of non-central nervous system cryptococcosis and usually presents with nonspecific symptoms. It often shows shadows on the lung, which makes it difficult to distinguish it from lung cancer. Here we report a case of a 52-year-old man with pulmonary cryptococcosis, who was misdiagnosed as lung cancer. Clinicians need to consider the possibility of pulmonary cryptococcosis and the importance of lung biopsy when treating a patient with a normal immune function that has isolated pulmonary nodules. This case also indirectly illustrates the importance of percutaneous lung biopsy in patients with isolated pulmonary nodules.

Clinical features of cryptococcosis in patients with different immune statuses: a multicenter study in Jiangsu Province-China

Background

Current guidelines support different management of cryptococcosis between severely immunodeficient and immunocompetent populations. However, few studies have focused on cryptococcosis patients with mild-to-moderate immunodeficiency. We performed this study to determine the clinical features of pulmonary (PC) and extrapulmonary cryptococcosis (EPC) and compared them among populations with different immune statuses to support appropriate clinical management of this public health threat.

Methods

All cases were reported by 14 tertiary teaching hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China from January 2013 to December 2018. The trends in incidence, demographic data, medical history, clinical symptoms, laboratory test indicators, imaging characteristics and diagnostic method of these patients were then stratified by immune status, namely immunocompetent (IC, patients with no recognized underlying disease or those with an underlying disease that does not influence immunity, such as hypertension), mild-to-moderate immunodeficiency (MID, patients with diabetes mellitus, end-stage liver or kidney disease, autoimmune diseases treated with low-dose glucocorticoid therapy, and cancer treated with chemotherapy) and severe immunodeficiency (SID, patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, haematologic malignancies, solid organ transplantation or haematologic stem cell transplantation, idiopathic CD4 lymphocytosis, agranulocytosis, aggressive glucocorticoid or immunosuppressive therapy and other conditions or treatments that result in severe immunosuppression).

Results

The clinical data of 255 cryptococcosis patients were collected. In total, 66.3% of patients (169) were IC, 16.9% (43) had MID, and 16.9% (43) had SID. 10.1% of the patients (17) with IC were EPC, 18.6% of the patients (8) with MID were EPC, and 74.4% of patients (32) were EPC (IC/MID vs. SID, p < 0.001). Fever was more common in the SID group than in the IC and MID groups (69.8% vs. 14.8% vs. 37.2%, p < 0.001). Of chest CT scan, most lesions were distributed under the pleura (72.7%), presenting as nodules/lumps (90.3%) or consolidations (10.7%). Pleural effusion was more common in SID group compared to IC group (33.3% vs. 2.4%, p < 0.001). Positivity rate on the serum capsular polysaccharide antigen detection (CrAg) test was higher in the SID group than in the other two groups [100.0% vs. 84.4% (MID) vs. 78.2% (IC), p = 0.013]. Positivity rate on the serum CrAg test was also higher in cryptococcal meningitis patients than in PC patients (100.0% vs. 79.5%, p = 0.015).

Conclusions

The clinical presentation of MID patients is intermediate between SID and IC patients and is similar to that of IC patients. The serum CrAg test is more sensitive for the identification of SID or EPC patients.

Combined Pulmonary Tuberculosis with Pulmonary and Pleural Cryptococcosis in a Patient Receiving Ruxolitinib Therapy

With an advance in therapy, there are increasing emerging and re-emerging opportunistic infections among patients with hematologic conditions and malignancy. Herein, we present a 56-year-old woman with primary myelofibrosis who developed combined tuberculosis (TB) and cryptococcosis with extensive pulmonary, pleural, and nodal involvement during ruxolitinib therapy. Marked clinical and radiologic improvements were undoubtedly evident after receiving anti-TB and antifungal therapies and pleural drainage. Hence, the presence of atypical clinical and radiologic manifestations and incomplete responses, despite receiving adequate antimicrobial treatment, should raise concerns regarding the combined emerging and re-emerging opportunistic infections and the possibility of unusual radiologic manifestations of cryptococcosis in a ruxolitinib-treated patient.

Application and evaluation of nucleic acid sequence-based amplification, PCR and cryptococcal antigen test for diagnosis of cryptococcosis

Background

Cryptococcosis is a major opportunistic invasive mycosis in immunocompromised patients, but it is also increasingly seen in immunocompetent patients. In the early stages of cryptococcosis, limitations of the detection method may hinder the diagnosis. A molecular diagnostic technique based on nucleic acid sequence-based amplification (NASBA) method was developed to fulfil the need for efficient diagnosis of cryptococcosis.

Methods

We compared the diagnostic performance of NASBA, PCR and cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test (colloidal gold method) in clinical samples from 25 cryptococcosis patients (including 8 cryptococcal meningoencephalitis and 17 pulmonary cryptococcosis) who were categorized as proven cases (n = 10) and probable cases (n = 15) according to the revised EORTC/MSG definitions. 10 patients with non-Cryptococcus infection and 30 healthy individuals were categorized as control group.

Results

The lowest detection limit of NASBA was 10 CFU/mL, and RNA of non-target bacteria or fungi was not amplified. The sensitivity of NASBA, PCR and colloidal gold method was 92.00% (95% CI 72.50–98.60%), 64.00% (95% CI 42.62–81.29%), 100.00% (95% CI 83.42–100.00%), and the specificity was 95.00% (95% CI 81.79–99.13%), 80.00% (95% CI 63.86–90.39%) and 82.50% (95% CI 66.64–92.11%) respectively. The highest specificity (97.50%), accuracy (95.38%) and k value (0.90) were achieved when both NASBA and colloidal gold results were positive.

Conclusions

NASBA is a new alternative detection method for cryptococcosis which is both accurate and rapid without expensive equipment and specialised personnel. It may be used as a tool for confirming current infection as well as monitoring the effectiveness of antifungal treatment. The use of NASBA to detect Cryptococcus RNA in blood samples is of great significance for the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis. The combination of NASBA and colloidal gold can improve the diagnostic accuracy of cryptococcosis.

The clinical and radiological characteristics of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients

Background

We characterized the clinical features, radiographic characteristics, and response to treatment of immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC).

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiological profiles of patients diagnosed with PC who received surgical resection between May 2015 and November 2020 in a tertiary referral center.

Results

A total of 21 males and 18 females were included in the study. 23 patients were immunocompetent and 20 out of the 39 were asymptomatic. Immunocompetent patients were diagnosed with PC at a younger age than immunocompromised patients (48.9 vs 57.1 years, P = 0.02). Single nodule pattern was the most frequent lesion pattern (33 out of 39, 84.6%) and right upper lobe was the most common site of location (15 out of 47, 31.9%). The majority of lesions were located peripherally (38 out of 47, 80.9%) and most lesions were 1–2 cm in diameter (30 out of 47, 63.8%). Cavitation was more likely to occur in immunocompromised patients (5 out of 11, 45.5%) than in immunocompetent patients (6 out of 36, 16.7%) (P = 0.04) and there was complete resolution of PC in all patients treated with anti-fungal therapy.

Conclusions

Immunocompetent patients were diagnosed with PC at a younger age than immunocompromised patients. Single nodule pattern was the most frequent lesion pattern in PC patients. Cavitation was more likely to occur in immunocompromised patients than in immunocompetent patients.

Isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient with Crohn's disease treated with infliximab: A case report and literature review

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors are widely used to treat various inflammatory conditions, where they have demonstrated excellent efficacy and tolerability. However, increased risk of infections is one of the most important concerns associated with these agents. Reactivation of tuberculosis and fungal infections have emerged as significant infective complications of anti-TNF-α therapy. Cryptococcus infection is an opportunistic fungal infection that can occur in patients receiving anti-TNF-α treatment. We report a rare case of isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient undergoing anti-TNF-α therapy for Crohn's disease. Our case should alert clinicians to the increased incidence and atypical presentation of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients receiving anti-TNF-α treatment.

Clinical Predictors Impacting Cryptococcal Dissemination and Poor Outcome in Patients With Cirrhosis

Background

Cirrhosis is an end-stage liver disease and is reported as an independent risk factor for cryptococcosis. Information about cryptococcosis in patients with cirrhosis remains sparse.

Methods

Human immunodeficiency virus–uninfected patients with cryptococcosis and cirrhosis admitted to Huashan Hospital from July 2005 to June 2020 were reviewed. Efficacy and safety of antifungal treatments, clinical outcome, and prognostic factors of mortality were evaluated.

Results

A total of 49 cryptococcosis patients with cirrhosis were included. Sites of infection involved central nervous system (n = 38), lung (n = 21), bloodstream (n = 11), skin (n = 1), and bone (n = 1). Nine patients (18.4%) had pulmonary cryptococcosis alone. Viral hepatitis B infection (57.1%) was the most common cause of cirrhosis. Patients with decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B and C) were more likely to have extrapulmonary cryptococcosis than those with compensated cirrhosis (90.7% vs 64.7%; P = .049). In patients with cryptococcal meningitis (CM), 7 were treated with amphotericin B with/without flucytosine, 5 with amphotericin B plus fluconazole with/without flucytosine, and 12 with fluconazole with/without flucytosine. Fluconazole (>400 mg/day) was well tolerated and only 1 patient had a mild adverse drug reaction. At 1-year follow-up, all patients treated with fluconazole with or without flucytosine survived, whereas the mortality rate was 14.3%–20.0% in the remaining groups. In addition, Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis (hazard ratio [HR], 7.555 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.393–40.971]) and time to diagnosis >120 days (HR, 18.619 [95% CI, 2.117–163.745]) were independent factors for 1-year mortality in patients with CM.

Conclusions

Severity of cirrhosis was associated with developing extrapulmonary cryptococcosis and mortality in CM. Early diagnosis and intervention of cryptococcosis are key for outcome.

Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis is an invasive fungal infection of global significance caused by yeasts of the genus Cryptococcus. The prevalence of HIV in certain areas of the world and the expanding population of immunocompromised patients contribute to the ongoing global disease burden. Point-of-care serologic testing has allowed for more rapid diagnosis and implementation of screening programs in resource-limited settings. Management involves therapy aimed at reduction in fungal burden, maintenance of intracranial pressure, and optimization of host immunity. Despite diagnostic and therapeutic advances, cryptococcosis continues to be a disease with unacceptably high incidence and mortality, particularly in resource-limited settings.

Clinicopathological features of isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV-negative patients

Objective

To analyse the clinicopathological features of isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients.

Methods

This retrospective study analysed the following data from HIV-negative patients diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis: demographics, underlying diseases, clinical manifestations on admission, laboratory tests, imaging data, results of histopathology, treatment options and outcomes. Sputum samples from all patients were collected and assessed for the presence of yeast or fungi. Cryptococcal antigen testing was performed for some patients. Histopathological analysis was also undertaken for some samples of lung tissue.

Results

The study analysed 37 patients (22 males). Thirteen (35.14%) patients were asymptomatic, 24 (64.86%) were symptomatic and 17 (45.95%) patients had no underlying disease. Out of 25 tested patients, 23 (92.00%) tested positive on the serum cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen test. During 6 to 24 months of follow-up, all 37 patients that were either treated with or without antifungal therapy alone or combined with surgical resection showed complete recovery. One patient made a full recovery without any treatment.

Conclusion

Early identification of pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV-negative patients and timely detection of cryptococcal antigens in serum or respiratory specimens may help to improve diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of the disease.

Crazy-paving patterns as rare radiological manifestations of pulmonary cryptococcosis: a case report

Background

Crazy-paving patterns are rarely reported as radiological manifestations of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Case presentation

Herein, we presented a very rare case of a crazy-paving pattern as a radiological manifestation of pulmonary cryptococcosis in a patient with primary ciliary dyskinesia. The diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis and primary ciliary dyskinesia was ultimately confirmed by bronchoscopic biopsy, fungus culture, whole exome sequencing of blood, etc. The patient received flucytosine (PO, 5 g per day) and amphotericin B (IV, 70 mg per day) during hospitalization and sequential therapy with voriconazole (PO, 200 mg twice a day) after discharge. He recovered during follow-up.

Conclusions

We concluded that pulmonary cryptococcosis should be considered a possible cause of crazy-paving patterns in chest CT scans.

A case-control study of human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients with cryptococcemia and cryptococcal meningitis in a Chinese tertiary care hospital during 10 years

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to characterize patients with cryptococcemia and compare the clinical features of cryptococcemia and cryptococcal meningitis.

METHODS

This was a retrospective, case-control study. We retrospectively identified blood cultures with Cryptococcus spp. growth. Controls were hospitalized patients who suffered from cryptococcal meningitis, but did not experience cryptococcemia. Controls and cases were matched by admission date, age, sex, and body weight. Clinical information was analyzed by two independent reviewers.

RESULTS

Eight patients with cryptococcemia and eight patients with cryptococcal meningitis were included. They were all negative for human immunodeficiency virus. The most common underlying disease was primary nephrotic syndrome. All patients presented with fever. The incidence of headache, nausea/vomiting, seizures, and cough/expectoration was significantly lower in patients with cryptococcemia than in those with cryptococcal meningitis. All clinical strains of Cryptococcus, except for one, were sensitive to fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, amphotericin B, and flucytosine in vitro. The rate of receiving an amphotericin B-containing regimen was significantly higher in patients with cryptococcal meningitis than in those with cryptococcemia. In-hospital mortality was significantly higher in cryptococcemia cases compared with cryptococcal meningitis cases.

CONCLUSION

Cryptococcemia is an unusual infection characterized by a high mortality. Cryptococcemia requires early identification and prompt antifungal therapy.

Clinical analysis in immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis in western China

Cryptococcosis is a systemic infection and it may occur in immunocompromised and immunocompetent hosts. In order to better understand the clinical characteristics of patients with PC in different immune status, we retrospectively investigated the clinical, radiological, and treatment profiles of immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients with PC during a 10-year period (2008–2017). As a result, out of 136 patients, 94 (69.1%) were immunocompromised hosts. For the PC patients without CNS involvement, higher percentage of immunocompetent patients (39.5%, 15/38) had asymptomatic presentation than immunocompromised patients (6.3%, 3/48) (P < 0.05). Multiple pulmonary nodules (72.7%, 56/77), ground-glass attenuation/interstitial changes (94.4%, 17/18) and cavitation (88.6%, 31/35) were significantly frequent in immunocompromised patients (P < 0.05). A total of 47 patients were misdiagnosed as tuberculosis or tumors based on CT signs. PC was likely to be misdiagnosed as tuberculosis in immunocompromised patients (88.2%, 15/17), and tumor was more likely to be considered in immunocompetent patients (43.3%, 13/30). Immunocompetent patients accounted for 80% (24/30) of patients with definite diagnosis on surgical lung biopsy. Fluconazole monotherapy can achieve good clinical outcome in most PC patients without central nervous system (CNS) involvement (91.5%, 54/59). After 3 months of treatment, 92.7% (38/41) patients have improved imaging findings. In conclusion, PC has diverse imaging manifestations and it is easily misdiagnosed. Lobectomy should be carefully selected in immunocompetent patients with a single lung lesion. Fluconazole monotherapy is preferred for PC patients without CNS involvement.

Clinical and Radiological Features of Patients With Pulmonary Cryptococcosis in a Hospital of North China

Objective: The increasing incidence has led to more focus on pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV-negative patients. We conducted a retrospective analysis of pulmonary cryptococcosis to understand the clinical characteristics, imaging features, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of this disease in HIV-negative patients in respiratory department of a tertiary hospital in north China.

Method: We identified retrospectively those diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis in the first medical center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital since 2009 to 2019. The clinical and image data were collected and analyzed.

Results: The study involved 34 patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis. All patients were diagnosed by histopathology. It accounted for 0.93‰ of the total number of patients admitted to respiratory department in the same period. The mean age was 49 years; 26 patients (76.5%) were male. Patients were predominantly immunocompetent (30, 88.2%), and there was no underlying disease for most patients (26, 76.5%). The most frequent symptoms were cough and expectoration. Fourteen (41.2%) patients showed no symptom or sign. Multiple lesions (21, 61.8%) and subpleural lesions (23, 67.6%) were the most common. Nodule was the most common abnormality on chest computed tomography image. Eight (23.5%) patients received serum Cryptococcus capsular polysaccharide antigen test, and seven patients showed positive result. All patients recovered after antifungal treatment.

Conclusions: Most patients of HIV-negative pulmonary cryptococcosis were mainly immunocompetent patients younger than 60 years without underlying diseases. There was lack of specificity in clinical manifestations and imaging findings. The prognosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV-negative patients was good.

Clinical impact of advanced chronic kidney disease in patients with non-HIV pulmonary cryptococcosis

Background

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an uncommon infectious disease that can develop in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. The severity of chronic kidney disease (CKD) was reported to be one of the risk factors for pulmonary cryptococcosis, but its clinical characteristics have not been fully assessed. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical characteristics of advanced CKD in patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Methods

The present study retrospectively investigated 56 patients who had non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pulmonary cryptococcosis and were treated at Saga University Hospital between 2005 and 2018. The clinical characteristics were evaluated and compared between patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) > 45 mL/min/1.73 m² (n = 42, early CKD) and those with eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73 m² (n = 14, advanced CKD.

Results

Compared with patients with early CKD, those with advanced CKD had significantly higher rate of disseminated cryptococcosis (21.4% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.03); lower percentage of patients who recovered after treatment (63.6% vs. 92.5%, p = 0.02); and more frequent clinical features of fever (57.1% vs. 19.0%, p < 0.01), pleural effusion (21.4% vs. 2.4%, p = 0.03), high white blood cell count (8550/mL vs. 6150/mL, p = 0.01) and C-reactive protein (CRP) (2.1 mg/dL vs. 0.2 mg/dL, p = 0.02), and low level of serum albumin (3.0 g/dL vs. 3.8 g/dL, p < 0.01). Multivariate analysis adjusted by immunosuppressive drug use indicated the significant factors of fever (odds ratio or β value [95% confidence interval] 6.4 [1.65–20.09], p < 0.01), high white blood cell count (1293.2 [110.2–2476.2], p = 0.03), C-reactive protein (0.89 [0.18–1.59], p = 0.01) and low level of serum albumin (− 0.34 [− 0.54 – − 0.14], p < 0.01) in patients with eGFR < 45 mL/min/1.73m².

Conclusion

Advanced CKD was associated with poor clinical characteristics and outcomes in patients with non-HIV pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Trial registration

The patients in this study were registered retrospectively.

Pleural effusion in an immunocompetent host with cryptococcal pneumonia: A case report

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection that mainly occurs among immunocompromised patients although it can sometimes occur in immunocompetent individuals. However, the imaging findings of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent hosts differ from those in immunosuppressed patients. In addition, the most common imaging findings of isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis are single or multiple nodules. Cavities and the halo sign are, however, prevalent in immunosuppressed patients. In immunocompetent patients, lung consolidation, pleural effusion or cavities are scarce.

CASE SUMMARY

A 29-year-old Asian male was admitted to our hospital with complaints of cough and fever that had persisted for a month. As a chest computed tomography scan showed consolidation in his left lower lobe, he was initially diagnosed with pneumonia and received antibiotic treatment. A second review of the chest computed tomography image revealed multiple cavities and pleural effusion. Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy was subsequently performed, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and serum cryptococcal antigen tests were positive. Cryptococcus capsules were observed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid ink stain. Histopathological examination of a percutaneous lung biopsy from the left lower lobe further revealed granulomatous inflammation, and periodic acid-Schiff staining showed red-colored yeast walls, signifying pulmonary cryptococcosis. The patient was then treated with a daily dose of fluconazole (0.4 g), but the cough and fever still persisted. We therefore changed treatment to voriconazole (0.2 g, twice a day), and the patient’s clinical outcome was satisfactory.

CONCLUSION

Although rare, clinicians should not disregard the possibility of cavities and pleural effusion occurring in immunocompetent hosts without underlying diseases.

Pulmonary Cryptococcosis: comparison of Cryptococcal antigen detection and radiography in Immunocompetent and Immunocompromised patients

Background

We compared the cryptococcal antigen detection and imaging findings between immunocompetent and immunocompromised patients in whom pulmonary cryptococcosis had been diagnosed. The aim of our study was to determine whether the patient’s immune status and radiography affect the detection of cryptococcal antigen.

Methods

According to whether they took immunosuppressive drugs or not, seventy and eight adult patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis were divided into two groups: the immunocompetent group and the immunocompromised group. According to the detection of CrAg, each group was divided into the CrAg+ group and the CrAg- group. Then, clinical records, laboratory examinations and computed tomography findings were collected and analyzed.

Results

No difference was found in baseline characteristics, clinical symptoms, and laboratory investigations. By comparing CrAg detection in these two groups, it was found that the number of CrAg+ cases in the immunocompetent group was more than that in the immunocompromised group. And in the immunocompetent group, diffuse lesions were more common in CrAg+ group and limited lesions were more frequently observed in CrAg- group.

Conclusions

The patient’s immune status and radiography would affect the detection of cryptococcal antigen. And serum CrAg could be a useful tool for the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients with extensive lung involvement.

CT Halo sign: A systematic review

PURPOSE

The CT Halo sign or Halo sign (HS) refers to ground-glass opacity surrounding a nodule or mass in the lung parenchyma. We conducted a systematic review to find the etiological associations of HS. We also evaluated the diagnostic performances of HS for invasive fungal infections (IFI) in immunosuppressed patients.

METHOD

The systematic review was conducted as per PRISMA guidelines. We searched the PubMed and EMBASE database till June 2018 without any restrictions. Only case reports, case series and original articles published in English language were included. A database created from the electronic searches was compiled and subsequent analysis was done. [PROSPERO registration: CRD42018094739] RESULTS: 168 studies were eligible, which included 51 case reports, 15 prospective studies, 102 retrospective studies. A total of 1977 patients (out of 6371) with HS were identified with age range between <1year-94years. The most common diagnosis in the immunosuppressed, mixed, immunocompetent and not specified groups were IFI (86.9 %, n = 1194), Cryptococcosis (51.6 %, n = 124), Cryptococcosis (40 %, n = 20) and lung neoplasms (81.8 %, n = 36) respectively. 14 studies (11 retrospective, 3 prospective) were included in quantitative analysis. The pooled sensitivity(sn), specificity(sp) and odd's ratio (OR) of HS for diagnosing IFI were 50.4 %, 91 % and 6.61 respectively. Also, HS could not reliably differentiate IPA from mucormycosis in the pooled analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

HS can be seen in a large number of diverse conditions both in immunosuppressed and immunocompetent population. In immunosuppressed patients HS is specific for IFI but cannot rule it out. Additionally, it cannot reliably distinguish between IPA and mucormycosis.

Invasive Pulmonary Cryptococcal Infection Masquerading as Lung Cancer with Brain Metastases: A Case Report

Cryptococcosis, a global disease problem, seen frequently in the immuno-suppressed, also affects patients without apparent immuno-suppression. Pulmonary cryptococcosis patients often present as cryptococcal pneumonia, whereas intracranial cryptococcosis presents with meningitis. We present a 33-year-old immunocompetent man, diagnosed with invasive pulmonary cryptococcal disease with spread to the brain. This case is unique because the patient was previously treated for tuberculosis and presented with typical bronchopulmonary thoracic, extra-thoracic as well as computed tomography (CT) scan features suggestive of lung cancer. Cryptococcosis was diagnosed by identification of oval thick-walled yeast on histology of lung biopsy specimen. The patient was treated with flucytosine and fluconazole initially and subsequently with Amphotericin B and fluconazole. He made clinical improvement with the resolution of symptoms but had residual radiological features. Invasive cryptococcosis affecting the lung and brain may present with a clinical picture similar to metastatic lung cancer. We recommend routine fungal stains and fungal culture in suspected cases.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis: A review of pathobiology and clinical aspects

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is an important opportunistic invasive mycosis in immunocompromised patients, but it is also increasingly seen in immunocompetent patients. The main human pathogens are Cryptococcus neoformans and C. gattii, which have a worldwide distribution. In contrast to cryptococcal meningitis, pulmonary cryptococcosis is still underdiagnosed because of limitations in diagnostic tools. It can mimic lung cancer, pulmonary tuberculosis, bacterial pneumonia, and other pulmonary mycoses both clinically and radiologically. Pulmonary nodules are the most common radiological feature, but these are not specific to pulmonary cryptococcosis. The sensitivity of culture of respiratory samples for Cryptococcus is poor and a positive result may also reflect colonisation. Cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) with lateral flow device is a fast and sensitive test and widely used on serum and cerebrospinal fluid, but sera from patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis are rarely positive in the absence of disseminated disease. Detection of CrAg from respiratory specimens might assist the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis but there are very few data. Molecular detection techniques such as multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) could also provide better sensitivity but these still require validation for respiratory specimens. The first line of treatment for pulmonary cryptococcosis is fluconazole, or amphotericin B and flucytosine for those with central nervous system involvement. Pulmonary cryptococcosis worsens the prognosis of cryptococcal meningitis. In this review, we summarize the biological aspects of Cryptococcus and provide an update on the diagnosis and management of pulmonary cryptococcosis.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis characteristics in immunocompetent patients-A 20-year clinical retrospective analysis in China

Background

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is not considered an rare, opportunistic infection anymore. The immunocompetent population accounts for an increasing proportion of the morbidity.

Objective

This study investigated the clinical characteristics of PC patients spanning 20 years, in a referral centre of China.

Patients/Methods

We retrospectively investigated the clinical data of 99 patients with PC who were diagnosed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from January 1998 to December 2017.

Results

Pulmonary cryptococcosis incidence in PUMCH has seen sharp increase in two decades. There were 40.4% (40/99), 17.2% (17/99) and 42.4% (42/99) immunocompetent, mildly immunocompromised and severe immunocompromised patients, respectively. Significantly higher (P = .035) male predominance in immunocompetent and mildly immunocompromised groups (68.4%, 39/57) compared with severe immunocompromised group (45.2%, 19/42) was found. Overall, 27.5% (11/40) immunocompetent patients reported a significant difference (P = .02) in history of more than weekly drinking, higher than mildly or severe immunocompromised. No significant difference occurred in symptoms and radiographic characteristics among the groups. In pulmonary computerised tomography findings, the non‐air pathway feature was the dominant distribution characteristics in all patients with PC (P = .002). The gap in body dissemination frequency between immunocompetent combined with mildly immunocompromised (5.26%, 3/57) and severe immunocompromised (19.0%, 8/42) was marginally significant (P = .05).

Conclusions

Gender and alcohol drinking could be PC risk factors of concern in patients without severe immunodeficiency. No significant difference occurred in symptoms or radiographic characteristics between patients with different levels of immune status. The unique radiographic non‐air pathway distribution in the lung may be the feature of Cryptococcus invasion that may enhance accurate diagnosis.

The use of surgery in a real-world clinic to diagnose and treat pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients

Background

We evaluated the role played by surgery in the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) in immunocompetent subjects.

Methods

We retrospectively studied 53 immunocompetent patients who were pathologically diagnosed with PC between January 2000 and December 2016 in a tertiary referral center. We compared the radiological presentations of, and diagnostic modalities used to evaluate, patients diagnosed both surgically and non-surgically. We also compared the treatment outcomes of patients who underwent surgical resection alone and those who received additional antifungals following surgical resection.

Results

Of the 53 patients, 30 (57%) were diagnosed via non-surgical modalities including percutaneous needle biopsy (PCNB) (n=29) and transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB) (n=1); and 23 (43%) were diagnosed by surgical modalities including video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection (n=22) and lobectomy (n=1). An initial clinical suspicion of a lung malignancy was associated with the use of surgical diagnostic approaches (P<0.001). Whereas undetermined locations were associated with the use of surgical diagnostic approaches, radiological findings such as clustered nodular patterns (P<0.001), cavities (P=0.005), air bronchograms (P<0.001), and peripheral lesions (P<0.001) were associated with the use of non-surgical diagnostic approaches. Of the 30 non-surgically diagnosed patients, 21 (70%) were treated with antifungals and 9 (30%) were followed-up without treatment. Of the 23 patients who underwent surgical treatment, 8 received additional antifungals. The proportion of patients who had radiological improvement was significantly higher in surgically diagnosed patients than non-surgically diagnosed patients (100% vs. 73%; P=0.007). However, there was no significant difference in disease progression between patients who underwent surgical resection alone and those who additionally received antifungals (P=0.999).

Conclusions

Surgical resection was required in some patients to diagnose PC. An initial suspicion of a lung malignancy was associated with use of surgical diagnostic approaches. Surgical resection not only afforded reliable diagnoses but also effectively treated PC. There was no need for additional antifungals after complete surgical resection.

Endemic pulmonary fungal diseases in immunocompetent patients: an emphasis on thoracic imaging

INTRODUCTION

Systemic endemic mycoses are prevalent in specific geographical areas of the world and are responsible for high rates of morbidity and mortality in these populations, and in immigrants and travelers returning from endemic regions. The most common fungal infections that can affect the lungs of immunocompetent patients include histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, blastomycosis, sporotrichosis, aspergillosis, and cryptococcosis. Diagnosis and management of these diseases remain challenging, especially in non-endemic areas due to the lack of experience. Therefore, recognition of the various radiologic manifestations of pulmonary fungal infections associated with patients' clinical and epidemiologic history is imperative for narrowing the differential diagnosis. Areas covered: This review discusses the clinical and radiological findings of the main endemic fungal diseases affecting the lungs in immunocompetent patients. Specific topics discussed are their etiology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, methods of diagnosis, pathology and main imaging findings, especially in computed tomography. Expert commentary: Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of pulmonary fungal infection and may reveal useful signs. Although definitive diagnosis cannot be made based on imaging features alone, the use of a combination of epidemiologic, clinical and imaging findings may permit the formulation of an adequate differential diagnosis.

Extent of Lung Involvement and Serum Cryptococcal Antigen Test in Non-Human Immunodeficiency Virus Adult Patients with Pulmonary Cryptococcosis

Background:

Serum cryptococcal antigen (CrAg) test is the most used noninvasive method to detect cryptococcal infection. However, false-negative CrAg test is not uncommon in clinical practice. Then, the aim of this study was to investigate the factors associated with false-negative CrAg test among non-human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) adult patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis and its clinical features.

Methods:

One hundred and fourteen non-HIV adult patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis, proven by biopsy, were retrospectively reviewed. Finally, 85 patients were enrolled; 56 were CrAg positive (CrAg+ group) and 29 were negative (CrAg− group). It was a cross-sectional study. Then, baseline characteristics, underlying diseases, clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and chest radiological findings were reviewed and analyzed. Chi-square test was used to analyze categorical variable. Odds ratio (OR) was used to measure correlation. Student's t-test was obtained to analyze continuous variable.

Results:

No difference in baseline characteristics, underlying diseases, clinical symptoms, and laboratory findings were found between two groups (P > 0.05 in all). Nevertheless, diffuse extent lesion was 82.1% in CrAg+ group and 10.3% in CrAg− group (χ²= 40.34, P < 0.001; OR = 39.87).

Conclusions:

Among patients with limited pulmonary involvement, a negative serum CrAg does not preclude the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis. However, among patients with extensive pulmonary involvement, serum CrAg is a useful diagnostic tool for pulmonary cryptococcosis. Furthermore, we also noticed that the untypical and mild presentations with extensive pulmonary lesion might be the features of pulmonary cryptococcosis, which needs further investigation.

The performance of serum cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen test, histopathology and culture of the lung tissue for diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in patients without HIV infection

Background

Clinicians may fail to make an early diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) without HIV infection. Serum cryptococcal capsular polysaccharide antigen (CrAg) test, histopathology and culture of lung tissue play different roles in diagnosis of PC.

Objective

To investigate the performance of serum CrAg test, histopathology and culture of the lung tissue in diagnosis of PC without HIV infection.

Patients/methods

From January 2011 to September 2017, patients with proven PC were recruited from a teaching hospital in southern China. Those patients with HIV infection, PC confirmed by surgery or PC with probable or possible diagnosis were excluded from the study. Latex agglutination test and CrAg lateral flow assay were used for detection of serum CrAg. Lung biopsy and needle aspiration were performed under computed tomography guidance.

Results

Eighty-nine patients with proven PC including 41 male (46.1%) and 48 female (53.9%) were enrolled. Fifty-one (57.3%) patients had underlying disease. Positive CrAg test was found in 83 (93.3%) cases. Among six cases with negative CrAg test, PC was confirmed by histology in two cases and positive culture in four cases. The histopathological results of 77 (86.5%) cases revealed cryptococcal granuloma and 12 cases showed chronic inflammation, which was confirmed by positive culture. Among 65 cases, the diseased tissue of 46 (70.8%) cases presented Cryptococcus neoformans in the culture and one case was diagnosed with lung cancer coexisting with PC.

Conclusion

Our findings showed that serum CrAg test is rapid and sensitive in diagnosing PC, histology is important for confirming PC and culture plays a complementary role. Biopsied lung tissue should be submitted for cultures whenever feasible.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis coexisting with adenocarcinoma: a case report and review of the literature

Background

Pulmonary cryptococcosis is a common fungal infection frequently seen in immunocompromised patients. Owing to its nonspecific clinical and radiographic features, the differential diagnosis with secondary tuberculosis, malignant tumor, and bacterial pneumonia is sometimes difficult. Many case reports have focused on misdiagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis as a malignant tumor. But to the best of our knowledge, the coexistence of pulmonary cryptococcosis and malignant tumor is rarely presented.

Case presentation

A 52-year-old immunocompetent Han Chinese woman was presented to our emergency department complaining of headache and vomiting accompanied by postural changes. She was diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis according to results of laboratory tests, computed tomography, and percutaneous lung biopsy. Owing to the poor therapeutic effects of 6-month fluconazole treatment, she underwent a second percutaneous lung biopsy and was diagnosed with pulmonary cryptococcosis coexisting with adenocarcinoma. Delayed treatment of malignant tumor resulted in lymph node metastasis, higher pathologic stage, and probably poorer prognosis.

Conclusions

Our patient’s case serves as a reminder not to misdiagnose pulmonary cryptococcosis coexisting with adenocarcinoma.

Puerpera with back pain and intermittent fever

A 25-year-old female presented, reporting back pain and intermittent fever for 3 months. At the time, she was at the end of the third trimester of pregnancy; therefore, an imaging examination could not be carried out.

Can you diagnose this case of puerpera with back pain and intermittent fever? 
http://ow.ly/AC0U30k2OkF

Cryptococcal disease in the solid organ transplant setting: review of clinical aspects with a discussion of asymptomatic cryptococcal antigenemia

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cryptococcal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in solid organ transplant patients. Here, we review the microbiology, epidemiology, clinical course, treatment, and outcomes of Cryptococcus in solid organ transplant recipients.

RECENT FINDINGS

We identify the unique findings in solid organ transplant patients when compared to other immunocompromised patients such as those with HIV. We also describe our experience and outcomes with regard to solid organ transplant patients who do not have positive fungal cultures, but cryptococcal antigen positivity and concern for cryptococcal disease.

SUMMARY

Our review will highlight the importance of these new diagnostic techniques in those with Cryptococcus and solid organ transplant, which will be the subject of new research.

Pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patient: a case report

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is an opportunistic and conditional disease. It commonly occurs in immunocompromised patients. We presented a case of PC in an immunocompetent patient. This patient had the complaints of irritating cough and shortness of breath. A variety of antibiotic treatment was ineffective. The patient eventually received percutaneous transcutaneous biopsy and PC was diagnosed. Patient was treated by intravenous fluconazole for two weeks. The patient's follow-up was performed by Pulmonary Department, and we learned that the patient was well.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of pediatric cryptococcosis in Beijing Children's Hospital, 2002-2014

Cryptococcosis is a rare pediatric disease. The aim of the study is to describe clinical characteristics and prognosis of pediatric cryptococcosis from 2002 to 2014 in Beijing Children's Hospital. A total of 53 cases of cryptococcosis were identified, 69.8% of which were males. The mean age was 7 years. Forty-one (77.4%) patients had no underlying conditions. Fever, headache, and vomiting were the most common symptoms. The most common sites were the central nervous system (CNS), followed by the lungs. Most patients received a combination of amphotericin B and fluconazole with or without flucytosine as their initial regimen. Twenty-seven patients received a follow-up and six patients (22.2%) had died. The factors associated with neurological complications or death were headache (P = 0.008), seizures (P = 0.006), visual impairment (P = 0.011), neck stiffness (P = 0.008), low erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P = 0.024), and a cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) cryptococcal antigen titer ≥ 1:1024 (P = 0.038).

CONCLUSIONS

The majority of cryptococcosis cases in China occurred in children without underlying conditions, causing multiple organ damage. The CNS was the most common site. Patients who had headaches, seizures, or high CSF antigen titers experienced neurological complications or died. What is known: • Cryptococcosis is a rare cause of infection in children. What is new: • This review gives a brief overview over pediatric cryptococcosis in China.