Skeletal cryptococcosis

Abstract

We reviewed the published reports of skeletal cryptococcosis and added three cases to the fifty-six in the literature. Eight of the patients in the reported cases probably did not have primary skeletal cryptococcosis. The potential toxicity of antifungal drugs in current use and the apparent effectiveness of surgical treatment for patients who only have a single focus of infection in bone, without involvement of other tissues, should be noted. The association of cryptococcosis with other diseases and the difficulty in differentiating purely skeletal involvement from more extensive disease are emphasized.