A case of disseminated cryptococcus in an HIV-positive patient

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A 69-year-old male with a history of untreated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) was admitted to the emergency department for symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, lethargy, and weight loss. His physical examination revealed severe wasting, oral thrush, and hypoxia. Chest imaging revealed cavitary lesions and blood work showed an absolute CD4 count of 23 cells/mm3. An IR-guided biopsy revealed abundant necrosis and scattered narrow- based fungal organisms consistent with Cryptococcus neoformans infection. The patient was treated with liposomal amphotericin B and flucytosine. Due to the increased risk of Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (IRIS), HIV treatment was deferred. The patient deteriorated, transitioned to comfort care, and unfortunately expired.

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 License.