title: Imaging findings of cryptococcal infection of the thoracic spine.
abstract: Cryptococcosis with thoracic spine involvement is extremely rare, with most cases occurring in immunosuppressed patients. We report a case of cryptococcosis of the thoracic vertebrae confirmed by histopathology. The immunocompetence of the patient is a most interesting feature of this case. Laboratory investigations were normal, but the erythrocyte sedimentation rate was raised. A computed tomography scan showed an eccentric lytic lesion with a clear boundary at T2-T3. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the endplates of the T2 and T3 vertebral bodies to be involved, but without significant loss of the intervertebral disk height. A prespinal and large paraspinal soft tissue component was spreading along T1-T4, and the pleura and dural sac at the level of T2-T3 had thickened abnormally. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography showed abnormal uptake in the lesion. The above-mentioned clinical and imaging information will help improve our understanding of this rare disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Changzhen Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Chenguang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Eastern Hepatobiliary Surgery Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Ningyang
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China. Electronic address: try_my_best2009@sina.com.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Shanghai Changzhen Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shanghai Changzhen Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Huimin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Shanghai Changzhen Hospital, Second Military Medical University, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: Cryptococcosis; Infection; Thoracic spine