Cryptococcal invasion: a comprehensive case of adrenal and systemic infection amid immunosuppression.

BMC Infect Dis

Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Anhui Medical University, Jixi Road 218, Shushan District, Hefei, Anhui, 230022, China.

Published: October 2024

AI Article Synopsis

  • - The case report discusses a patient with disseminated cryptococcosis, a rare fungal infection affecting the lungs and central nervous system, complicated by meningitis and pneumonia, along with unusual adrenal involvement.
  • - This patient was immunosuppressed due to primary myelofibrosis and Ruxolitinib treatment, showing significant findings in imaging scans that led to the discovery of adrenal cryptococcosis through surgical intervention and pathology.
  • - After a month of oral antifungal treatment, including amphotericin B and other medications, the patient showed improved outcomes with reduced antigen levels and no signs of recurrence during follow-up visits.

Article Abstract

We report a case of disseminated cryptococcosis, an uncommon fungal infection predominantly affecting the lungs and central nervous system, with the rare involvement of adrenal cryptococcosis, compounded by meningitis and pneumonia. The patient, previously diagnosed with primary myelofibrosis and undergoing oral Ruxolitinib treatment, exhibited immunosuppression. Imaging via chest and abdominal CT scans revealed inflammation in the right lung's middle lobe, splenomegaly, a splenic lesion, and a left adrenal mass, initially prompting considerations of pheochromocytoma. However, unilateral adrenalectomy and subsequent pathological examination disclosed extensive infiltration by inflammatory and multinucleate giant cells, with Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining confirming the diagnosis. The identification of adrenal cryptococcosis was further supported by positive adrenal pus culture and significantly elevated capsular antigens in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid, at titers of 1:2560. Following a month of oral antifungal treatment, marked reductions in capsular antigen levels were noted, to 1:640 and 1:160 in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, respectively. The patient was discharged on a regimen of oral amphotericin B, flucytosine, and fluconazole, with regular outpatient follow-ups showing no signs of recurrence or dissemination.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11460178PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12879-024-09737-8DOI Listing

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