title: [The characteristics of CT imaging and diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis in 42 cases with non-acquired immune deficiency syndrome].
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Ping-hai
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Bi-jie
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Li-xian
authors.initials: LX
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Hua-yin
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bao-qing
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xue-hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jue
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Hong-ni
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Chun-mei
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xiao-dong
authors.initials: XD
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Hong-mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Sheng-lei
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Wen-song
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.forename: Chun-xue
authors.initials: CX
authors.lastname: Bai
mesh_terms: 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