[The characteristics of CT imaging and diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in 42 cases with non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome].
OBJECTIVE
To further elucidate the CT characteristics and diagnostic approaches to non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis.


METHODS
The histories of forty-two pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) patients diagnosed in Zhongshan Hospital from 2003-2008 were collected and analyzed for demography data, underlying conditions, clinical symptoms, chest CT and diagnostic studies.


RESULTS
None of the 42 PC patients had avian or its feces contacting history, and 71.4% (30/42) of them were immunocompetent. The most frequent CT lesions were multiple nodules (67.9%) with peripheral predominance (67.9%), and cavitations (50%) often presented within them. Masses/consolidation (31.4%) and patching lesions (2.9%) could exist occasionally. Positive detection rates of non-aggressive examinations including sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and bronchofibroscopy aspiration were 4.3%, 8.3% and 6.3% respectively, while those of aggressive approaches including transbronchial lung biopsy (TBLB), thin needle aspiration biopsy (TNAB) and pneumonectomy by surgery were 64.7%, 64.3% and 100% respectively. Non-aggressive serum cryptococcus antigen test was performed in 14 patients who had been diagnosed by histopathology or pathogen culture, and all of them were positive.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests that PC is common in immunocompetent population. Avian or its feces contacting is not so important as used opinion to PC differential diagnosis. CT characteristics of PC are diversiform and always change very slowly. Besides the most frequent multiple nodules with subpleural predominance, pulmonary lesions can present as masses, consolidation or patching. Aggressive techniques such as TBLB and TNAB are benefit to clinical diagnosis of PC, and non-aggressive serum cryptococcus antigen test may be promising for its early diagnosis as well as clinical course follow-up and therapeutic effect evaluation.
Zhang
Ping-hai
PH
Department of Respiratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Hu
Bi-jie
BJ
He
Li-xian
LX
Li
Hua-yin
HY
Wang
Bao-qing
BQ
Chen
Xue-hua
XH
Pan
Jue
J
Jiang
Hong-ni
HN
Zhou
Chun-mei
CM
Gao
Xiao-dong
XD
Xie
Hong-mei
HM
Huang
Sheng-lei
SL
Xia
Wen-song
WS
Tao
Li-li
LL
Bai
Chun-xue
CX
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology*; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult