ENLmedical.com: Conditions And Concerns: Medical Encyclopedia: Cryptococcosis

Cryptococcosis

Causes and Risks:
This fungus is found in soil and in pigeon droppings. Once in the lung, infection with cryptococcosis may heal on its own, remain localized, or spread throughout the body (disseminate). Most cases occur in people whose resistance to infection is lowered (through HIV infection , high doses of corticosteroid medications, cancer chemotherapy , Hodgkin's disease ). In individuals with a normal immune system the pulmonary (lung) form may have no symptoms. The cryptococcus organism has an affinity for the brain. Once infected the onset of neurological symptoms is gradual. The majority of people have meningoencephalitis at the time of diagnosis.

Of the opportunistic fungal infections, cryptococcus is the most frequently seen life-threatening infection in AIDS patients.

Prevention:
Minimize doses of corticosteroid medications.
Safer sex practices reduce the risk of acquiring HIV and the subsequent opportunistic infections associated with a weakened immune system.

Symptoms:

chest pain
dry cough
headache
nausea
confusion
blurred vision or double vision (diplopia)
fatigue
fever
unusual and excessive sweating at night
glands, swollen WITHOUT nearby areas appearing infected (e.g., red, painful, swollen)
prolonged bleeding , bruising easily
skin rash may be present
- skin rash or lesion pinpoint red spots ( petechiae )
- bleeding into the skin
- bruises ( ecchymoses )
unintentional weight loss
appetite, loss
abdominal fullness prematurely after meals
abdominal pain
abdomen, swollen
weakness
bone pain or tenderness of the breastbone (sternum)
numbness and tingling
- nerve pain or pain along the path of a specific nerve
- pain along a nerve root (major pathway from the spinal cord)

Note: In individuals with normal immune systems there may be no symptoms

Signs and Tests:

Treatment:
Some infections require no treatment. However, medical observation should continue for a year to detect progression of the disease. If pulmonary lesions are present or the disease spreads, antifungal medications are prescribed, and treatment with these agents may be prolonged.

Medications include

amphotericin B
flucytosine
fluconazole

Prognosis:
Central nervous system involvement often has a fatal outcome, or leads to permanent damage.

Complications:

relapse of infection
meningitis

Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if symptoms develop that are suggestive of cryptococcosis.

These are Cryptococcus skin lesions. Cryptococcus is a yeast (type of fungus) that seldom causes infection, but is considered opportunistic (it affects people with weakened immune systems). Cryptococcus is one of the more common life-threatening fungal infections in AIDS patients.

This is an example of Cryptococcus skin lesions on the forehead. Cryptococcus is a yeast (type of fungus) that seldom causes infection and is considered opportunistic (affecting individuals with weakened immune systems). Cryptococcus is one of the more common life-threatening fungal infections in AIDS patients.