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Macrophage Cholesterol Depletion and Its Effect on the Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans
11:07

Macrophage Cholesterol Depletion and Its Effect on the Phagocytosis of Cryptococcus neoformans

Published on: December 19, 2014

Cryptococcal pneumonia in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

E P Friedman1, R F Miller, A Severn

  • 1Department of Imaging, University College London Hospitals (NHS) Trust, UK.

Clinical Radiology
|November 1, 1995
PubMed

Insights

Cryptococcal pneumonia is common in HIV patients, often presenting with interstitial infiltrates or alveolar consolidation on chest X-rays. This study highlights ground-glass shadowing as a frequent finding, differing from prior reports.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pulmonology

Background:

  • Cryptococcus neoformans infection is prevalent in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients.
  • Pulmonary cryptococcosis is less common than cryptococcal meningitis, despite the lungs being the primary entry point.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To describe the radiographic findings of pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV-positive individuals.
  • To compare these findings with previous literature on the condition.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of chest radiographs from fourteen HIV-positive patients diagnosed with cryptococcal pneumonia.
  • Analysis of common and uncommon radiographic abnormalities.

Main Results:

  • Interstitial infiltrates (9/14) and alveolar consolidation (7/14) were the most frequent abnormalities.
  • Ground-glass shadowing (6/14) was observed, a finding not previously described.
  • Nodules and cavitation were rare, contrasting with earlier reports.

Conclusions:

  • Pulmonary cryptococcosis in HIV patients frequently shows interstitial infiltrates and alveolar consolidation.
  • Ground-glass shadowing is a notable radiographic feature in this population.
  • Consider cryptococcal pneumonia in HIV patients with suspected Pneumocystis pneumonia, bacterial pneumonia, or miliary tuberculosis.

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