Cryptococcal choroiditis in advanced AIDS with clinicopathologic correlation

Abstract

Purpose: To describe a case of disseminated cryptococcal meningitis with multifocal choroiditis and provide optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings correlated with described histopathology in a patient with advanced acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Observations: The patient was a 54-year-old man with AIDS who presented with dyspnea and headache followed by acute vision loss. OCT demonstrated a lesion with a small area of fluid that was limited by a more prominent and irregular external limiting membrane with underlying nodular choroidal thickening, mild RPE disorganization, and hyperreflectivity of the overlying photoreceptor layer. Patient was found to have disseminated cryptococcal infection and passed away despite aggressive therapy. Autopsy was performed including bilateral enucleation and a Cryptococcus lesion was confirmed on histopathology. Conclusion and importance: This case highlights the clinical, imaging, and histopathologic findings of cryptococcal choroiditis and provides a review of the updated treatment recommendations for disseminated infection in a patient with advanced AIDS. Although currently fundoscopy has proven most useful in directing the diagnostic algorithm in choroiditis in the setting of advanced immunosuppression, OCT may provide insight into the spread of Cryptococcus within the eye. Keywords: Cryptococcus neoformans, Cryptococcal choroiditis, Meningitis, HIV, AIDS, Clinicopathologic correlation