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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Microbiological Rapid On-Site Evaluation for Pulmonary Infectious Diseases
Published on: March 1, 2024
Pulmonary capillary embolism caused by cryptococcemia in a hemodialysis patient
M Eriguchi1, T Nagao, T Kamimura
1Kidney Center, Matsuyama Red Cross Hospital, Matsuyama City, Japan. masahiro@matsuyama.jrc.or.jp
Abstract:
In this report, we describe a patient who contracted fatal cryptococcosis after the induction of hemodialysis. A 76-year-old man was hospitalized to initiate hemodialysis. On admission, clinical findings showed no signs of any infections, and hemodialysis was inducted favorably. On the 6th hospital day he suddenly had a dyspnea and died from acute respiratory failure having a dyspnea for only 6 h. By microscopic examination at autopsy, we detected microemboli in the pulmonary capillary arteries caused by Cryptococcus and that the embolic source was a multiple-abscessed spleen. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of pulmonary capillary microembolism caused by cryptococcemia.
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