Cryptococcosis in a phthisical eye

A case of an enucleated phthisical eye was examined pathologically and was diagnosed as uveitis, subretinal granuloma, detached retina, phthisis bulbi. Twenty years later a more detailed study of multiple sections with differential stains revealed the existence of yeast-like bodies morphologically compatible with Cryptococcus neoformans. Systemic involvement was not found in this case, and the patient died 17 years later from an unrelated disease of the cardiovascular system. However an autopsy was not performed. Indirect fluorescent antibody staining technique on unstained deparaffinized sections of the eye tissue was positive for C. neoformans.