Cerebellar cryptococcosis characterized by a space-occupying lesion in an immunocompetent non-HIV patient

Abstract

Bi-Xia Liu,1,* Xi-Jian Dai,2,3,* Heng Liu,4,* Hong-Han Gong,3 Yi-Xiang J Wang,2 Lun-Li Zhang1 1Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong; 3Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou, People’s Republic of China *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Central nervous system (CNS) cryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal infection that typically occurs in patients with reduced immunological function, such as patients with AIDS, patients receiving organ transplants, or patients receiving corticosteroid and immunosuppressive therapy. CNS cryptococcosis rarely occurs in immunocompetent patients. CNS cryptococcosis is characterized by meningitis and encephalitis and occasionally forms isolated granulomas. Isolated cerebellar cryptococcoma is a rare condition, especially in immunocompetent patients, and the misdiagnosis rate is high. A definite diagnosis must be based on pathology. To raise awareness of this disease, the clinical data of a patient with cryptococcomas in the right side of the cerebellum are reported. Keywords: cryptococcosis, cerebellar, central nervous system, magnetic resonance imaging, immunosuppressive