Cryptococcus Infection and Lymphocytopenia: An Ill Defined Entity

Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans infections are rare. Meningitis by Cryptococcus is well known as an opportunistic infection. It is most commonly seen in immuno-suppressed patients, especially in retrovirus infections and chemotherapy patients. Herein we describe a healthy adult male patient, with no known co-morbidities, who had Cryptococcus meningitis with associated very low CD4 count. We could not ascertain a reason for the low CD 4 count and hence was labelled as Idiopathic CD4 lymphocytopenia. Patient was successfully treated with amphotericin and discharged home.

Keywords

• cd4
• fungus
• idiopathic
• meningitis