[An autopsied case of pleuro-pulmonary cryptococcosis]

We report a case of pleuro-pulmonary cryptococcosis. An 86-year-old man was admitted to the hospital with dyspnea, a high fever and an oppressive sensation in the chest. Chest X-ray on admission revealed massive pleural effusions, interstitial shadows and consolidation with air bronchograms in both lung fields. The cause of pleural effusion was unknown. The patient died one month later. Autopsy revealed severe pleural cryptococcosis and organizing pneumonia with a small number of cryptococci but without granuloma. To our knowledge, there have been very few documented cases of pleuro-pulmonary cryptococcosis with such massive bilateral pleural effusions.