Histopathology, serology and cultures in the diagnosis of cryptococcosis

Authors

  • Alexandra Flávia Gazzoni Hospital Santa Rita; Laboratório de Micologia; Santa Casa-Complexo Hospitalar
  • Cecília Bittencourt Severo Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Departamento de Medicina Interna
  • Emily Ferreira Salles Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
  • Luiz Carlos Severo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico

Keywords:

Budding index, Carminophilic index, Mayer's mucicarmine stain, Fontana-Masson stain, Cryptococcal antigen test, Cultures

Abstract

Cryptococcosis is one of the most common opportunistic fungal infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). We report 13 cases of cryptococcal infection based on histopathology, serology and cultures. Epidemiological analysis, histochemical techniques of hematoxilin and eosin (HE) and Grocot's silver (GMS), as well special histochemical techniques such as Mayer's mucicarmine (MM) and Fontana-Masson (FM), cryptococcal antigen test (CrAg) and isolation on fungal media: Sabouraud's (SAB), brain-heart infusion agar (BHI) and canavanine-glycine-bromothymol blue (CGB) agar were analyzed. Unsatisfactory staining results by MM stain associated to negative titers by CrAg test, which FM stain confirmed that capsule-deficient Cryptococcus infections were observed in four cases. Eight isolated cases were identified as follows: six cases were infection with Cryptococcus neoformans and two cases were Cryptococcus gattii.

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Published

2009-10-01

Issue

Vol. 51 No. 5 (2009)

Section

Mycology

How to Cite

Gazzoni, A. F., Severo, C. B., Salles, E. F., & Severo, L. C. (2009). Histopathology, serology and cultures in the diagnosis of cryptococcosis . Revista Do Instituto De Medicina Tropical De São Paulo, 51(5), 255-259. https://revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/31285