Rheumatoid Arthritis Support

Cryptococcosis is a defining opportunistic infection for AIDS. Other conditions which pose an increased risk include certain lymphomas (e.g. Hodgkin's lymphoma), sarcoidosis, and patients on long-term corticosteroid therapy.

Distribution is worldwide. The prevalence of cryptococcosis has been increasing over the past 20 years for many reasons, including the increase in incidence of AIDS and the expanded use of immunosuppressive drugs.

In humans, ''C. neoformans'' causes three types of infections:

* Wound or cutaneous cryptococcosis

* Pulmonary cryptococcosis, and

* Cryptococcal meningitis.

Cryptococcal meningitis (infection of the meninges, the tissue covering the brain) is believed to result from dissemination of the fungus from either an observed or unappreciated pulmonary infection. ''Cryptococcus gattii'' causes infections in immunocompetent people (those having a functioning immune system), but ''C. neoformans v. grubii'', and ''v. neoformans'' usually only cause clinically evident infections in persons who have some form of defect in their immune systems (immunocompromised persons). People who have defects in their cell-mediated immunity, for example, people with AIDS, are especially susceptible to disseminated cryptococcosis. Cryptococcosis is often fatal, especially if untreated.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Cryptococcosis, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki