title: Cryptococcal empyema: case report and review.
abstract: A 28-year-old male infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) developed a pleural empyema caused by Cryptococcus neoformans. He responded well to chest-tube drainage and antifungal therapy; he received fluconazole as maintenance therapy for 1 year and has not relapsed. We reviewed the English-language literature on cryptococcal pleural effusions in patients with and without AIDS. Only three other cases of empyema, one of them in an HIV-infected patient, have been reported. A pleural-fluid cryptococcal antigen test was diagnostic in our case and should be included in the diagnostic evaluation of unexplained pleural empyema/effusion in immunocompromised patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA.
authors.forename: V E
authors.initials: VE
authors.lastname: Mulanovich
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Dismukes
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Markowitz
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D000328:Adult; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016724:Empyema, Pleural / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male