[Neurocryptococcosis waiting to be diagnosed]

Abstract

Neurocryptococcosis is a severe neurological complication of Cryptococcus neoformans infections, primarily affecting immunocompromised individuals. This report describes the case of a 53-year-old man with no known medical history who experienced severe headaches and vomiting while on a business trip to Pakistan. He was given preventive antibiotic therapy, followed by a combination of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim for suspected toxoplasmosis. The patient's condition initially improved and he was discharged from the hospital, but later experienced a recurrence of symptoms and sought emergency care. The diagnosis of neurocryptococcosis was confirmed through various biological tests, including flow cytometry. Treatment with Amphotericin B and 5-Fluorocytosine was initiated. Further testing revealed significant CD4+ T-cell lymphopenia, which was attributed to sarcoidosis-like systemic granulomatosis. This case presents an atypical clinical manifestation, with the abrupt onset of an opportunistic infection in a patient without any known immunosuppression.

Keywords: flow cytometry; granulomatosis; neurocryptococcosis.