title: Diagnosis and treatment of nonadjacent cryptococcal infections at the L1 and S1 vertebrae.
abstract: Cryptococcal spine infections are rare infections that are easy to misdiagnose and difficult to cure. Therefore, we report the case of a 25-year-old man who presented with nonspecific spinal lesions at L1 and S1. The patient underwent surgical removal of the lesions, and specimens were submitted for microbial identification, which identified a cryptococcal infection that was susceptible to amphotericin B. The patient exhibited marked improvement after receiving intravenous amphotericin B and remained asymptomatic (no back pain, fever, or other symptoms) at the 3‑ and 9‑month follow-ups. Similar cases of cryptococcal spine infections are rare, and we believe that our diagnostic findings and treatment experience may help improve the management of this rare disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Xionglong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China.
authors.forename: Yibiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China. 36882067@qq.com.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China. 36882067@qq.com.
authors.forename: Runsheng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Artificial Joints Engineering and Technology Research Center of Jiangxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China. 15879177108.@163.com.|Multidisciplinary Therapy Center of Musculoskeletal Tumor, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, 330006, Nangchang, Jiangxi, China. 15879177108.@163.com.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003453:Cryptococcosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D012447:Sacrum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D013166:Spondylitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Bacterial infections and mycoses; Bone diseases; Cancer; Cryptococcosis; Spine