Ewha Med J.  2010 Sep;33(2):99-104. 10.12771/emj.2010.33.2.99.

Five Cases of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis in Immunocompetent Patients

• Oh HJ
• Choi MY
• Kim SH
• Song EM
• Baek DH
• Kim JH
• Ryu YJ
• Chun EM
• Lee JH
• Chang JH
• Shim SS

• KMID: 2283946
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12771/emj.2010.33.2.99

Abstract

Cryptococcal infections occur frequently in patients with cell-mediated immune deficiency, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome, organ transplants, hematologic malignancy patients and immunocompromised patients who receiving cancer chemotherapy or corticosteroid therapy. In these conditions, cryptococcosis can cause serious infections requiring systemic antifungal therapy such as meningoencephalitis and sepsis. However, pulmonary cryptococcosis in immunocompetent hosts may have self-limited course and improve without treatment. We experienced various pulmonary manifestations of pulmonary cryptococcosis in five immunocompetent patients. We diagnosed three cases of isolated pulmonary cryptococcosis and two cases of disseminated cryptococcosis involving lungs. All cases were treated with intravenous injection of amphotericin B during hostpital care, and maintained with oral fluconazole after discharge. During the follow-up, clinical symptoms and radiologic features were markedly improved.

Keyword

Cryptococcosis, pulmonary; Cryptococcus neoformans; Immunocompetence

MeSH Terms

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Amphotericin B
Cryptococcosis*
Cryptococcus neoformans
Drug Therapy
Fluconazole
Follow-Up Studies
Hematologic Neoplasms
Humans
Immunocompetence
Immunocompromised Host
Injections, Intravenous
Lung
Meningoencephalitis
Sepsis
Transplants
Amphotericin B
Fluconazole