[Study of some epidemiological aspects of 253 cases of cryptococcosis.]

Some epidemiological characteristics of 253 cases of cryptococcosis (CRY) diagnosed between 1981 and 1993 in the Muñiz Hospital (MH) of Buenos Aires City, were studied. The incidence of CRY associated with AIDS (CRY+AIDS) in the MH during 1983-1993, could be divided into 3 periods: between 1983 and 1988 1-3 cases a year were diagnosed; during 1989-91, the number of cases dopubled annually and in 1992-93 the annual increment was lower. CRY associated with predisposing causes other than AIDS (CRY+non AIDS) exhibited an annual incidence of 0-3 cases during the whole period studied. CRY was more frequent in males (86%). The difference between sexes was more evident in CRY+AIDS patients (88% males) than CRY+non AIDS ones (65% males). The median age (MA) of the studied population was 28 (range 10-71) years; 27 (10-48) in women and 29 (17-71) in men. CRY+AIDS and CRY+non AIDS patients exhibited a MA of 29 (17-51) and 40 years (10-71), respectively. AIDS was the predisposing factor in 92% of patients; 65% of them were intravenous drug abusers and 22% homosexual males, with a MA of 27 (17-40) and 33 (23-55) years, respectively. Cryptococcus neoformans var. neoformans was isolated from all CRY+AIDS and 79% of CRY+non AIDS patients and the gattii variety (Serotype B) produced 4 (21%) cases of CRY+non AIDS.