The significance of low titer serum cryptococcal antigen testing from 2017 to 2023 performed in a tertiary care center.

ABSTRACT

Several false positive low serum cryptococcal antigen (SCrAg) reports by lateral flow assay (LFA) were identified in late 2016 at our tertiary care hospital. After the recall and correction of the problem in the reagent, we studied the significance of SCrAg LFA ≤ 110 from January 2017 to October 2023. Of 20 patients with 31 samples of SCrAg LFA ≤ 110, 14 patients (70%) were classified as true positives, four (20%) were indeterminate, and only two (10%) patients were false positives. If a new SCrAg LFA ≤ 110 is detected, it should be repeated, and additional workup should be pursued.

We studied the significance of low serum cryptococcal antigen (SCrAg) titer lateral flow assay (LFA) ≤ 110 from January 2017 to October 2023. Of 20 patients with SCrAg LFA ≤ 110, only two patients (10%) were false positives. If a new SCrAg ≤ 110 is detected, it should be repeated, and additional workup should be done.