Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii Infection in HIV-Seronegative Patients from Northeast India: Report of Two Cases with Review of Literature

  • Published:
Mycopathologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cryptococcus neoformans infection can occur in a wide range of hosts ranging from those who are severely immunosuppressed to those who are apparently immunocompetent. Two apparently immunocompetent HIV-seronegative patients with cryptococcal meningitis and multiple skin lesions, both due to C. neoformans var. grubii, are reported. Pregnancy was found as an associated factor in cryptococcal meningitis in a 20-year-old female patient from Arunachal Pradesh. Multiple skin lesions were the presenting feature of an 18-year-old male patient from Dibrugarh, eastern Assam. The organism was identified both phenotypically and by sequencing of ITS1 and ITS2 regions of rRNA gene. The cases are reported because of rarity of this infection in non-HIV-infected patients.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  1. Jain N, Wickes BL, Keller SM, Fu J, Casadevall A, Jain P, Ragan MA, Banerjee U, Fries BC. Molecular epidemiology of clinical Cryptococcus neoformans strains from India. J Clin Microbiol. 2005;43:5733–42.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Pappas PG. Cryptococcal infections in non-HIV-infected patients. Trans Am Clin Climatol Assoc. 2013;124:61–79.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  3. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI). Method for antifungal disc diffusion susceptibility testing of yeasts: approved guideline M44-A. Wayne: National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards; 2004.

  4. Timerman HJ. Fatal case of yeast meningitis in pregnancy. Chicago: Gynecology Society; 1935.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Wager HE. Torula uveitis. Trans Am Acad Ophtalmol Otolaryngol. 1954;58:61–7.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Gantz JA, Nuetzel JA, Keller LB. Cryptococcal meningitis treated with amphotericin B. AMA Arch Intern Med. 1958;102:795–800.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Feldman CR. Cryptococcosis (Torulosis) of the central nervous system treated with amphotericin B during pregnancy. South Med J. 1959;52:1415–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Littman ML. Cryptococcosis (Torulosis) current concepts and therapy. Am J Med. 1959;27:976–98.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Kuo D. A case of torulosis of the central nervous system during pregnancy. Med J Aust. 1962;49:558–60.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Aitken GW, Symonds EM. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy treated with amphotericin B: a case report. J Obstet Gynaecol Br Emp. 1962;69:677–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Crotty JM. Systemic mycotic infections in northern territory aborigines. Med J Aust. 1965;26:184–6.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Curole DN. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy. J Reprod Med. 1981;26:317–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Silbefarb PM, Sarosi GA, Tosh FE. Cryptococcus and pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1972;112:714–20.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Philpot CR, Lo D. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy. Med J Aust. 1972;2:1005–7.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Silberfarb PM, Sarosi GA, Tosh FE. Cryptococcosis and pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1972;2:1005–7.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Jones JM, Craig WA. Cryptococcal meningitis: resolution eight months after antifungal therapy. South Med J. 1983;76:1567–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Stafford CR, Fisher JF, Fadel HE, et al. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1983;62(3 Suppl):35s–37s.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Chotmongkol V, Siricharoensang S. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy—a case report. J Med Assoc Thai. 1991;74:421–2.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Pereira CA, Fischman O, Colombo AL, Moron AF, Pignatari AC. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy: review of the literature: report of 2 cases. Rev Inst Med Trop S Paulo. 1993;35:367–71.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Molnar-Nadasdy G, Haesly I, Reed J, Altshuler G. Placental cryptococcus in a mother with systemic lupus erythematosus. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1994;118:757–9.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen CP, Wang KG. Cryptococcal meningitis in pregnancy. Am J Perinatol. 1996;13:35–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Ely EW, Peacock JE Jr, Haponik EF, Washburn RG. Cryptococcal pneumonia complicating pregnancy. Medicine (Baltimore). 1998;77:153–67.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Nucci A, Maciel Júnior JA, Queiroz Lde S, Montenegro MA, De Carvalho RB. Pseudocystic form of neurocryptococcosis in pregnancy: case report. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 1999;57:678–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Srinivas U, Kar R, Saxena R, Prasad PH. Cryptococcal neoformans profiles in peripheral blood neutrophils: an unusual presentation. Indian J Pathol Microbiol. 2008;51:296–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Costa ML, Souza JP, Oliveira Neto AF, Pinto ESJL. Cryptococcal meningitis in HIV negative pregnant women: case report and review of literature. Rev Inst Med Trop Sao Paulo. 2009;51:289–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Mudumbi SV. Disseminated cryptococcosis in an HIV-negative pregnancy: a case of cryptococcal septic abortion complicating an immunocompetent pregnancy. Int J Infect Dis. 2010;14:351–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Meesing A, Jittjareon A, Pornpetchpracha A, Tassaneetrithep B, Phuphuakrat A, Kiertiburanakul S. Disseminated cryptococcosis in an HIV-seronegative pregnant woman with transient T-lymphocytopenia: a case report and review of the literature. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health. 2014;45:647–53.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Cox GM, Perfect JR. Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans and gattii and Trichosporon species. In: Collier L, editor. Topley and Wilson’s microbiology and microbial infections. 9th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 1998. p. 461–84.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Mitchell T, Perfect J. Cryptococcosis in the era of AIDS—100 years after the discovery of Cryptococcus neoformans. Clin Microbiol Rev. 1995;8:515–48.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Martinez LR, Garcia-Rivera J, Casadevall A. Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans (serotype D) strains are more susceptible to heat than C. neoformans var. grubii (serotype A) strains. J Clin Microbiol. 2001;39:3365–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  31. Du L, Yang Y, Gu J, Chen J, Liao W, Zhu Y. Systemic review of published reports on primary cutaneous Cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients. Mycopathologia. 2015;180:19–25.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Authors acknowledge Department of Biotechnology, Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, for financial grant (HC-77/2011).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786002, India

    Reema Nath, Longminder Timung & Lahari Saikia

  2. Department of Medicine, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786002, India

    Basanta Laskar & Subhalakshmi Das

  3. Department of Surgery, Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, Assam, 786002, India

    Jishan Ahmed

Authors
  1. Reema Nath
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Basanta Laskar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jishan Ahmed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Subhalakshmi Das
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Longminder Timung
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Lahari Saikia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Reema Nath.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

Authors declare no conflict of interest.

Ethical Clearance

Ethical clearance was obtained from institutional ethics committee (Human).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Nath, R., Laskar, B., Ahmed, J. et al. Cryptococcus neoformans var. grubii Infection in HIV-Seronegative Patients from Northeast India: Report of Two Cases with Review of Literature. Mycopathologia 181, 315–321 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-015-9971-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-015-9971-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation