| Term | Definition |
|---|
| What is the morphology of cryptococcus neoformans | yeast form only; NOT DIMORPHIC; as a polysaccharide capsule |
| Is cryptococcus neoformans usually asymptomatic or symptomatic? | Usually asymptomatic |
| What is the major manifestation of cryptococcus neoformans | Meningoencephalitis |
| How is crytococcus acquired usually? | Inhalation by the lungs |
| Where is cryptococcus found geographically? | No geographic clustering; can be found anywhere |
| Where in nature is cryptococcus found? | Pigeon droppings |
| Follow the course of cryptococcus invasion throughout the body/ | First localized lung infection then gets into the bloodstream then into the brain |
| Who gets crytococcosis? | AIDS patients (about 10% of AIDS patients get cryptococcosis) |
| Why is cryptococcal meningitis lethal w/out treatment? | Because cerebral edema causes eventual brainstem compression |
| What are the symptoms of cryptococcal meningitis? | Subacute to chronic with confusion, cranial nerve abnormalities, headache, nausea, staggering gait |
| What are other manifestations that cryptococcus neoformans can cause? | Skin ulcers, pnuemonia, bone lytic lesions like other systemic fungi |
| Diagnosis of cryptococcal infections? | lunbar puncture and stain CSF with India ink stain which will show yeast cells; a more sensitive test is cryptococcal antigen test to detect polysaccharide antigens |
| Treatment of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis? | Two weeks of: amphotericin B and flucytosine; followed by fluconazole for at least 8 weeks; immunosuppressive therapy until CD4 count is above 100 |
| Treatment of other non-meningitis cryptococcal infections? | Long course of oral fluconazole |
Combine with other sets
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