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Clinical features of pulmonary cryptococcosis in thin-section CT in immunocompetent and non-AIDS immunocompromised patients

  • Chest Radiology
  • Published:
La radiologia medica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rational and objectives

To compare thin-section computed tomography (CT) features of pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) in immunocompetent and non-AIDS immunocompromised patients.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively reviewed CT findings of 18 immunocompetent and 24 non-AIDS immunocompromised patients with clinically proven PC. Different patterns of pulmonary abnormalities between the two groups of patients were compared by Fisher’s exact test.

Results

Pulmonary nodules were present in 37 of the 42 patients. Masses were detected in 16 patients and consolidation in 9. There were 12 patients with a solitary nodule or mass. Masses were associated with nodules in 12 patients. Consolidation was associated with nodules/masses in nine patients. The nodules/masses were associated with cavitations in 13 patients. Margination of nodules/masses was well defined in nine patients and ill-defined in 33. The abnormalities were predominantly distributed in the peripheral region of the lung (n = 29, 69.0%). The presence of cavitations in nodules/masses was significantly more frequent in non-AIDS immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients (P = 0.001).

Conclusions

The most common thin-section CT feature of PC was pulmonary nodules/masses, which were ill-defined and located peripherally. Cavitations within nodules/masses were more commonly found in non-AIDS immunocompromised patients. PC should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary nodules/masses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (East), Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shuaifuyuan Wangfujing Dongcheng District No. 1, Beijing, 100730, China

    Xin Sui, Yao Huang, Wei Song, Fuling Zheng, Xiao Wang, Xiaoli Xu & Zhengyu Jin

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Basic Medical Science, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China

    Zixing Wang & Jinmei Jiang

Authors
  1. Xin Sui
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  2. Yao Huang
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  3. Wei Song
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  4. Fuling Zheng
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  5. Xiao Wang
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  6. Xiaoli Xu
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  7. Zixing Wang
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  8. Jinmei Jiang
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  9. Zhengyu Jin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wei Song.

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Conflict of interest

Authors Xin Sui, Yao Huang, Wei Song, Fuling Zheng, Xiao Wang, Xiaoli Xu, Zixing Wang, Jinmei Jiang and Zhengyu Jin declare that they have no conflict of interest.

IRB statement

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Approval No. S-598).

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Sui, X., Huang, Y., Song, W. et al. Clinical features of pulmonary cryptococcosis in thin-section CT in immunocompetent and non-AIDS immunocompromised patients. Radiol med 125, 31–38 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-019-01088-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11547-019-01088-8

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