title: Cryptococcosis associated with crescentic glomerulonephritis.
abstract: Crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) is an uncommon form of renal injury in childhood. Whereas many infectious processes are known to be linked to CGN, fungal infections typically are not. This report describes an 11-year-old girl who presented with CGN, cutaneous anergy, and cryptococcal mediastinitis. Whereas cryptococcal disease in children is usually associated with immunodeficiency (inherited or acquired), extensive immunologic evaluation of the patient was notable only for relative CD4 lymphopenia with normal CD4/CD8 ratios. Testing for human immunodeficiency virus was negative. Clinical and diagnostic studies are presented, along with a review of the literature regarding glomerular disease and cryptococcal infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Nephrology and Hypertension, University of Texas Health Science Center-Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suárez-Rivera
authors.forename: Rania A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Abadeer
authors.forename: Marylee M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Kott
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Braun
mesh_terms: D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D002648:Child; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008480:Mediastinitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed
chemical_list: D000946:Antigens, Fungal