Cryptococcosis in oncology patients: a case series in a tertiary care cancer centre.

ABSTRACT

Cryptococcosis, a relatively uncommon infection in cancer patients is often associated with delayed diagnosis and high fatality rate due to its highly heterogeneous and protean manifestations. Early recognition and initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy might have a favourable outcome in such cases. Here we report three cases of Cryptococcosis among cancer patients in a tertiary care cancer centre in South India. All three patients were males of different ages at presentation with immunosuppression in the form of solid organ or hematologic malignancy and were using immunosuppressive medications like steroids or chemotherapeutic agents. They presented with cryptococcemia and cryptococcal meningitis. Patients with microbiologically proven cryptococcosis had poor outcome in this subgroup of patients.