Case report: Disseminated cryptococcus gattii in an immunocompetent patient

BACKGROUND: Cryptococcosis is an opportunistic fungal disease, caused by Cryptococcus grubii, C. neoformans, and infrequently by C. gattii. [1], [2] Infection occur in patients with immunosuppression or with intact immunity. Dissemination mostly occurs in the lungs and meninges, but also the skin, bones and the prostate, with very high mortality rates reported for cryptococcal meningitis ranging from 27% to nearly 100%. [2], [3] CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a healthy, immunocompetent male presenting with a six-month history of weight loss, a chronic cough, recent-onset haemoptysis and a lung mass. The differential diagnosis included pulmonary Tuberculosis, bacterial or fungal pneumonia and lung carcinoma. The patient was subsequently diagnosed with disseminated C. gattii, which remains very rare. Risk factors for this infection included a distant history of cigarette smoking, as well as travel to central Africa for a recreational trip several months prior. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Fungal infections should be considered in any patient presenting with respiratory or neurological symptoms suggestive of Tuberculosis, pneumonia or lung carcinoma, regardless of immunocompetency. Our case highlights the importance of taking a thorough travel history in all patients, as the differential diagnosis would need to include atypical pathogens that could be endemic in the area of travel. It also highlights the significant morbidity associated with cryptococcosis and drug-related toxicities and the methods to prevent complications.