Cerebellar cryptococcoma in a non-HIV patient

Criptococoma cerebelar em paciente HIV negativo

IMAGES IN NEUROLOGY

Cerebellar cryptococcoma in a non-HIV patient

Criptococoma cerebelar em paciente HIV negativo

Fabiano Reis^I; Ricardo Schwingel^I; Thiago Ferreira Souza^I; Luciano de Souza Queiroz^II; Verônica de Araújo Zanardi^I

^IDepartment of Radiology of the Clinics Hospital of the State University of Campinas, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Campinas SP, Brazil

^IIDepartment of Pathology of the Clinics Hospital of the State University of Campinas, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Campinas SP, Brazil

^{Correspondence}

A 26-year-old female, immunocompetent, with dysmetria and dysarthria. Diagnostic imaging (Fig 1) demonstrated a cerebellar mass, with a pattern which may be associated to a tumor, although multiple hypointense centers surrounded by ring enhancement after gadolinium may suggest the possibility of many types of infectious lesions, including cryptococcoma.

Histological analysis (Fig 2) confirmed the diagnosis of Cryptococcus neoformans.

Central nervous system cryptococcosis is rare in immunocompetent individuals and is considered an opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients^1-3. In immunocompetent individuals, cryptococcoma is the most common form of cerebral involvement^1,2.

This patient had a good outcome after surgery and anti-fungal therapy.

Support:

Ricardo Schwingel received financial support by FAPESP.

Received 3 December 2010

Received in final form 2 May 2011

Accepted 9 May 2011

• 1. Kesler R, Maertens P. Pontine cryptococcoma in a nonimmunocompromised individual: MRI characteristics. J Neuroimaging 1999;9:118-121.
• 2. Li Q, You C, Liu Q, Liu Y. Central nervous system cryptococcoma in immunocompetent patients: a short review illustrated by a new case. Acta Neurochir 2010;152:129-136.
• 3. Rocha AJ, Maia Junior ACM, Ferreira NPDF, Amaral LLF. Granulomatous diseases of the central nervous system. Top Magn Reson Imaging 2005; 16:155-187.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  27 Oct 2011
• Date of issue
  Oct 2011