Cryptococcosis
Cryptococcus neoformans is a common organism found in the soil and the most common fungal infection of the central nervous system. It is encapsulated with a hydrophilic polysaccharide that takes up India Ink stain. It is the second most common opportunistic infection in HIV/AIDS patients (second to the parasite toxoplasmosis).
Patients with CD4+ count less than 100 cells/mL are at greatest risk for contracting cryptococcosis, particularly in endemic areas. Clinical presentation is nonspecific, including headache, neck stiffness, nausea, seizure, and possibly without localizing neurologic deficits.
Imaging Features
There are three predominant forms of pathology of cryptococcus infection in the brain: meningitis, parenchymal cryptococcoma, and gelatinous pseudocysts associated with the perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia. These pathologic findings may produce minimal changes on imaging and in many cases one must have an elevated level of suspicion in the appropriate clinical setting to diagnose this disease.
- CT:
- Usually normal.
- Nonspecific findings include hydrocephalus, atrophy, edema, and hypodense parenchymal lesions corresponding to cryptococcomas or pseudocysts.
- MR:
- Leptomeningeal thickening – best seen on T1 post-contrast.
- Encephalitis appears as ill – defined or patchy parenchymal enhancement with surrounding edema seen as high T2/FLAIR signal.
- Intraparenchymal enhancing nodule(s) (cryptococcomas) in the basal ganglia, thalami, and cerebellum – best seen on T1 post-contrast. T2/FLAIR show high signal reflecting the lesion and surrounding edema.
- Dilated perivascular spaces (Virchow-Robin spaces) with “soap bubble” morphology – T1 intermediate signal (unlike CSF, which is black on T1 sequences), T2 hyperintense, FLAIR hyperintensity (incompletely suppressed compared to CSF), and variable degree of enhancement (greater degree in immunocompetent patients).
- Extra-axial pseudocysts in the skull base have been described, these also show intermediate T1 signal.
- Intraventricular pseudocysts have been described. These expand the ventricles, creating a scalloped appearance and have low-to-intermediate T1 signal.
- Complications:
- Hydrocephalus
- Infarct
Differential Diagnosis
- CNS Toxoplasmosis
- CNS Tuberculosis
- Pyogenic abscesses
- Prominent perivascular (Virchow-Robin) spaces
- CNS lymphoma
For more information, please see the corresponding chapter in Radiopaedia and the Cryptococcus tumor mimic chapter in the Neurosurgical Atlas.
Contributor: Jordan McDonald, MD
References
Caldemeyer KS, Mathews VP, Edwards-Brown MK, et al. Central nervous system cryptococcosis: parenchymal calcification and large gelatinous pseudocysts. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 1997; 18(1): 107-109.
Miszkiel KA, Hall-craggs MA, Miller RF, et al. The spectrum of MR findings in CNS cryptococcosis in AIDS. Clinical Radiology. 1996; 51(12): 842-850.
Smith AB, Smirniotopoulos JG, Rushing EJ. From the Archives of the AFIP -- Central Nervous System Infections Associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection: Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation. RadioGraphics. 2008; 28:2033-2058. doi: 10.1148/rg.287085135
Takasu A, Taneda M, Otuki H, Oku K. Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging of cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Neuroradiology. 1991; 33: 443-446.
Vender JR, Miller DM, Roth T, et al. Intraventricular cryptococcal cysts. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 1996; 17(1): 110-113.
Zerpa R, Huicho L, Guillen A. Modified India Ink preparation for Cryptococcous neoformans in cerebrospinal fluid specimens. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. 1996; 34(9): 2290-2291.
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