Abstract
Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection that is rarely reported in patients without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, especially when the central nervous system (CNS) or pulmonary system is not involved. We report a case of isolated colonic cryptococcosis without disseminated disease in a 64-year-old immunocompetent woman without HIV infection who presented with chronic diarrhea and no episodes of fever or weight loss. The diagnosis was based on histopathology examination. Furthermore, we performed a literature review showing that few reports have been published so far and in the case of colonic cryptococcal infection, the prognosis is favorable among HIV-uninfected patients.
Highlights
Cryptococcus spp. are the causative agents of cryptococcosis, a fungal infection that occurs worldwide
Cryptococcus neoformans causes more than 90% of cryptococcal infections, Cryptococcus gattii affects a greater proportion of immunocompetent individuals, and has a high prevalence in Latin America [1, 2]
We report a case of isolated colonic cryptococcosis without disseminated disease in an immunocompetent patient without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
Summary
Cryptococcus spp. are the causative agents of cryptococcosis, a fungal infection that occurs worldwide. Cryptococcus spp. can infect the central nervous system (CNS) and the pulmonary system; it can spread to any organ system, especially among cases of severe immunosuppression. Despite this ability to infect any organ system, colonic cryptococcosis that spares other digestive organs is rare, especially among immunocompetent persons [2]. We report a case of isolated colonic cryptococcosis without disseminated disease in an immunocompetent patient without HIV infection. We performed a literature review of other cases of cryptococcosis that have involved the colon, either individually or as part of a disseminated disease, among non-HIV-infected patients
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