Vertebro-cerebral cryptococcosis mimicking tuberculosis: a diagnostic dilemma in countries with high burden of tuberculosis.
We report a case of a 30-year-old immunocompetent man with disseminated cryptococcosis who was initially treated with antitubercular therapy due to clinical and radiological diagnosis of vertebro-cerebral tuberculosis. The diagnosis of Cryptococcus infection was made due to incidental isolation of this fungus from blood culture with negative cerebrospinal fluid culture results. Though disseminated cryptococcosis with central nervous system, skeletal, and skin involvement is an uncommon manifestation of Cryptococcus neoformans infection, a high clinical suspicion and early initiation of therapy is needed to recognise and treat such patients efficiently.
Department of Microbiology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Dilshad Garden, Delhi   110 095, India.
R
R
Gupta
S
S
Kushwaha
S
S
Behera
A
A
Jaiswal
R
R
Thakur
D000328:Adult; D001769:Blood / Q000382:microbiology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D020314:Central Nervous System Fungal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000382:microbiology; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*; D003455:Cryptococcus neoformans / Q000276:immunology*; D016469:Fungemia / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*