Axillary lymphadenopathy in a liver transplant recipient: Initial manifestation of disseminated cryptococcosis
Vikram Saini,
Lame Balikani,
Janice Ahn,
Zaw Min,
Nitin Bhanot
Affiliations
Vikram Saini
Division of Infectious Disease, Medicine Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Lame Balikani
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Janice Ahn
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Zaw Min
Division of Infectious Disease, Medicine Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Nitin Bhanot
Division of Infectious Disease, Medicine Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Correspondence to: Division of Infectious Disease, Allegheny General Hospital, Allegheny Health Network, 420 East North Avenue, South Tower, East Wing, Suite 407, Pittsburgh, PA 15212, USA.
Immunocompromised patients, especially organ transplant recipients, are at risk for opportunistic infections. Cryptococcus, a ubiquitous environmental fungus, can cause potentially fatal infection in such hosts. While it can involve any organ in the human body, respiratory and central nervous systems are commonly affected. We present a case of disseminated cryptococcal infection in a liver transplant recipient in whom the initial presentation was bilateral axillary lymphadenopathy, a relatively rare clinical manifestation. Rapid diagnosis and targeted antimicrobial therapy are paramount for favorable clinical outcomes, particularly in this patient population.
