[Cryptococcemia with a severe bronchial asthma: case report and review of the literature]

A 64-year old hospitalized male for severe bronchial asthma began to complain fatigue and appetite loss. His asthma had been treated with oral bethamethasone. The Chest CT at this time revealed a bilateral consolidation of the lower lung. Despite a week of treatment with antibiotics and anti-fungals, the patient expired from DIC progression. His premortem sputum and blood culture grew Cryptococcus Neoformans. We concluded his diagnosis as cryptococcal pneumonia and sepsis. Sepsis by Cryptococcus neoformans is a rare clinical event, and only 20 cases have been reported in Japan. Although 16 of the 20 had preexisting medical conditions, a case with underlying bronchial asthma has never been reported. A comparison of the reported cases of the US and Europe to that of Japan revealed differences in the patients' underlying conditions. We report a case with a brief review of the literature and summarize the 20 cases that have been reported in Japan.