Pulmonary capillary embolism caused by cryptococcemia in a hemodialysis patient.
In this report, we describe a patient who contracted fatal cryptococcosis after the induction of hemodialysis. A 76-year-old man was hospitalized to initiate hemodialysis. On admission, clinical findings showed no signs of any infections, and hemodialysis was inducted favorably. On the 6th hospital day he suddenly had a dyspnea and died from acute respiratory failure having a dyspnea for only 6 h. By microscopic examination at autopsy, we detected microemboli in the pulmonary capillary arteries caused by Cryptococcus and that the embolic source was a multiple-abscessed spleen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pulmonary capillary microembolism caused by cryptococcemia.
Eriguchi
M
M
Kidney Center, Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital, Matsuyama City, Japan. masahiro@matsuyama.jrc.or.jp
Nagao
T
T
Kamimura
T
T
Sugawara
K
K
Mitsuiki
K
K
Harada
A
A
D000368:Aged; D002196:Capillaries; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D016469:Fungemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006435:Renal Dialysis