title: Histopathology, serology and cultures in the diagnosis of cryptococcosis.
abstract: Cryptococcosis is one of the most common opportunistic fungal infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We report 13 cases of cryptococcal infection based on histopathology, serology and cultures. Epidemiological analysis, histochemical techniques of hematoxilin and eosin (HE) and Grocot's silver (GMS), as well special histochemical techniques such as Mayer's mucicarmine (MM) and Fontana-Masson (FM), cryptococcal antigen test (CrAg) and isolation on fungal media: Sabouraud's (SAB), brain-heart infusion agar (BHI) and canavanine-glycine-bromothymol blue (CGB) agar were analyzed. Unsatisfactory staining results by MM stain associated to negative titers by CrAg test, which FM stain confirmed that capsule-deficient Cryptococcus infections were observed in four cases. Eight isolated cases were identified as follows: six cases were infection with Cryptococcus neoformans and two cases were Cryptococcus gattii.
authors.affiliation: Doutora em Ciências Pneumológicas, Unidade de Microbiologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Reus, Espanha.
authors.forename: Alexandra Flávia
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gazzoni
authors.forename: Cecília Bittencourt
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Severo
authors.forename: Emily Ferreira
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Severo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D004396:Coloring Agents; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D003454:Cryptococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents