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Automated Measurement of Cryptococcal Species Polysaccharide Capsule and Cell Body
Published on: January 11, 2018
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Cryptococcus Species Other Than Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii: Are They Clinically Significant?
Edison J Cano1, Zachary A Yetmar1, Raymund R Razonable1
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
Open Forum Infectious Diseases
|December 16, 2020
Summary
Non-neoformans and non-gattii Cryptococcus species rarely cause significant human infections. This study found only one case of invasive disease among 54 patients with these fungal species.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Infectious Diseases
- Clinical Microbiology
Background:
- Cryptococcus species, primarily C. neoformans and C. gattii, cause opportunistic infections in immunocompromised individuals.
- Other Cryptococcus species are occasionally reported in human disease, but their epidemiology and clinical significance are not well-defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe cases with cultures positive for Cryptococcus species other than C. neoformans and C. gattii.
- To evaluate the clinical significance and epidemiology of these less common Cryptococcus species.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of clinical and laboratory data from November 2011 to February 2019.
- Inclusion of patients with Cryptococcus cultures from three Mayo Clinic sites.
- Focus on Cryptococcus species excluding C. neoformans and C. gattii.
Main Results:
- Out of 176 Cryptococcus spp. cases, 54 (30%) involved species other than C. neoformans and C. gattii.
- The most common species identified were Cryptococcus magnus, Cryptococcus laurentii, and Cryptococcus ater.
- Only 8 (15%) cases were considered potentially pathogenic, with one confirmed invasive disease case.
Conclusions:
- Non-neoformans and non-gattii Cryptococcus species appear to rarely cause clinically significant human infections.
- The vast majority of infections associated with these species are not invasive.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the clinical spectrum of these fungi.
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