Association between neuroimaging and clinical outcomes in individuals with central nervous system cryptococcosis.

BACKGROUND: The radiological manifestations of central nervous system (CNS) cryptococcosis are diverse and often subtle. There is heterogeneity on how different neuroimaging patterns impact prognosis. This study aims to assess the association between the neuroimaging and clinical outcomes of CNS cryptococcosis. METHODS: All patients with CNS cryptococcosis between July 2017 and April 2023 who underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were included. The primary outcome was mortality during hospitalisation. Secondary outcomes were readmission, ventricular shunting, duration of hospitalisation and time to the first negative cerebrospinal fluid culture. We compared the outcomes for each of the five main radiological findings on the brain MRI scan. RESULTS: We included 46 proven CNS cryptococcosis cases. The two main comorbidity groups were HIV infection (20, 43%) and solid organ transplantation (10, 22%), respectively. Thirty-nine patients exhibited at least one radiological abnormality (85%), with the most common being meningeal enhancement (34, 74%). The mortality rates occurred at 11% (5/46) during hospitalisation. We found no significant disparities in mortality related to distinct radiological patterns. The presence of pseudocysts was significantly associated with the need for readmission (p = .027). The ventricular shunting was significantly associated with the presence of pseudocysts (p = .005) and hydrocephalus (p = .044). CONCLUSION: In this study, there is no association between brain MRI findings and mortality. Larger studies are needed to evaluate this important issue.

Paracoccidioidomycosis after eyebrow micropigmentation: Unusual reactivation or a new form of transmission by cutaneous inoculation?

We report a case of unusual paracoccidioidomycosis reactivation after eyebrow micropigmentation in a Brazilian patient. The cutaneous lesion was the only clinical manifestation. Direct cutaneous inoculation in dermal tissues with Paracoccidioides sp. is extremely rare, explaining why paracoccidioidomycosis is not classically considered a cutaneous implantation mycosis.

Clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment of central nervous system sporotrichosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The clinical features of central nervous system (CNS) sporotrichosis are derived from case reports and a limited series of cases. Our objective was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analysis of CNS sporotrichosis. METHODS: We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and LILACS on 9 September 2023. Our inclusion criteria were documentation of Sporothrix and demonstrated CNS involvement. A metaproportion or metamean analysis was performed to estimate a summary proportion with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: We included 52 cases of CNS sporotrichosis published from 1966 to 2023. Forty-six patients were male (88%, 95% CI: 77-95), and the mean age was 39 years (95% CI: 36-43). Close contact with cats was reported in 55% of cases (95% CI: 37-72). Thirty-two (61.5%) patients were from Brazil, 18 patients from the United State of America (34.6%). Only two Sporothrix species were reported: S. schenckii (26/41, 63%), and S. brasiliensis (15/41, 37%). The most common neurological symptom was headache. Meningitis was chronic in approximately 80% of cases. A significant majority of the patients were immunocompromised. HIV infection was the primary cause of immunosuppression (85%, 95% CI: 61-95). Overall mortality was 56% (22/39). The comparison of Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed a higher mortality with a statistically significant difference in immunosuppressed patients (p = .019). CONCLUSION: CNS sporotrichosis represents a notable cause of chronic meningitis, especially in individuals living in the Americas with HIV infection and concurrent skin lesions.

Cutaneous Naganishia albida (Cryptococcus albidus) infection: a case report and literature review.

Naganishia albida (Cryptococcus albidus) is considered saprophytic fungi, and is rarely reported as a human pathogen. Cutaneous infections caused by non-neoformans cryptococcus are rare. We describe a case of an immunocompetent older male with cutaneous cryptococcosis caused by Naganishia albida following skin trauma, and conduct a literature review in PubMed, Lilacs, and Embase. Only six previous similar reports were found. The seven cases (including ours) were widely distributed geographically (Brazil, the US, the UK, Hungary, South Korea, and Iran), all males, and their ages varied, ranging from 14 to 86 years. Four individuals had underlying skin diseases (Sezary Syndrome, psoriasis, and skin rash without etiology) plus potentially immunosuppressive underlying conditions (diabetes mellitus, kidney transplantation, and the use of etanercept, adalimumab, and methylprednisolone). Cutaneous presentation was polymorphic, with lesions characterized as warts, ulcers, plaques, and even macules. Two patients presented disseminated disease. Serum cryptococcal antigen was negative in six patients, and diagnosis was made by fungal culture in all. There is a lack of data on optimal antifungal treatment and outcomes.

Itraconazole Serum Trough Concentrations Using Oral Capsules for the Treatment of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis: What is the Target?

BACKGROUND: In regions where there is only itraconazole capsule as a therapeutic option for treatment of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA), measuring the serum concentrations becomes even more important for therapeutic success. OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the initial itraconazole serum trough concentrations after the administration of oral capsule of itraconazole for the treatment of CPA. METHODS: The measurement was performed at least 7-days after initiation of therapy. The standard treatment at our institution was a 200 mg capsule every 12 h. We defined that an adequate serum trough concentration of itraconazole during treatment was 1-4 mg/L. RESULTS: This study recruited 28 patients. The median value was 0.30 mg/L (IQR 0.01-0.70). Only 11% (n = 3) had adequate serum concentrations based on guideline recommendation. All patients with clinical deterioration had itraconazole serum levels ≤ 0.8 mg/L. CONCLUSION: The initial serum concentrations of itraconazole after capsule formulation administration were low. Increasing the dose should be considered when the itraconazole concentration is low, especially if it is ≤ 0.8 mg/L, and the patient presents with clinical deterioration. Larger studies are needed to evaluate the adequate concentrations recommended for CPA.

Sensitivity of Antigen, Serology, and Microbiology Assays for Diagnosis of the Subtypes of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis at a Teaching Hospital in São Paulo, Brazil.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is divided into five subtypes. The diagnosis of CPA is complicated due to poor sensitivity of the laboratory tests. Diagnostic performance of different antigen, serological, and microbiological methods in subtypes of CPA is unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance in different subtypes of CPA. A total of 91 participants with CPA were included, and the study was performed at Hospital das Clínicas of University of São Paulo. Bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan (73%, 11/15), serology by immunodiffusion test (81%, 61/75), and histology (78%, 39/50) had the best sensitivity. The counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIE) titers had a significant statistical difference between the CPA subtypes (P < 0.001), in which the forms chronic fibrosing pulmonary aspergillosis (CFPA) and subacute invasive aspergillosis (SAIA) had higher titers: 1/64 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1/32-1/256) and 1/64 (1/32-1/128). C-reactive protein generally presented lower values (median 15 mg/L, IQR: 6-33), with higher values in SAIA and lower values for Aspergillus nodule. Overall, we found a low diagnostic sensitivity of current tests. Regarding the CPA subtypes, we did not find great differences in the performance of the tests, but it is observed that the inflammatory markers and CIE titers tend to be higher in forms of the more extensive lung parenchyma involvement, such as SAIA and CFPA.

Challenges, Characteristics, and Outcomes of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis: A 11-Year Experience in A Middle-Income Country.

OBJECTIVES: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is a research priority in fungal diseases with a need for new studies to reduce misdiagnosis with more common diseases, discuss improvement in diagnostic methods and better characterize gaps in antifungal and surgical treatments to improve clinical outcomes. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed with CPA from January 2010 to June 2021 at University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. We evaluated clinical characteristics, radiological findings, serology, treatment, and outcomes. RESULTS: The study included 91 participants, with 43 (47.3%) patients who underwent surgery and 69 (75.8%) received antifungal therapy. We found a predominance of middle-aged adults (median 51 years), males (n = 58, 64%) with lower BMI (median 21.3 kg/m2). The most common underlying lung disease was pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 70, 76.9%). The commonest symptoms were cough (n = 67, 74%), haemoptysis, and dyspnea (n = 63, 70%). The most common chest computerized tomography abnormalities were cavity (n = 86, 94.5%), with a predominance of mycetomas (n = 78, 91%). The serology was positive in 81% (61/75). The one-year mortality was low (3.3%). Clinical improvement and stability occurred in 89% of participants for constitucional symptoms and 86% for pulmonary symptoms. While serological improvement and stability occurred in 71%. Radiological improvement and stability occurred in 75%. CONCLUSION: We observed a good outcome after 1-year follow-up, in which the majority had improvement or stability of pulmonary and constitutional symptoms, decrease in CIE titers and low mortality.

Cutaneous Naganishia albida (Cryptococcus albidus) infection: a case report and literature review

ABSTRACT Naganishia albida (Cryptococcus albidus) is considered saprophytic fungi, and is rarely reported as a human pathogen. Cutaneous infections caused by non-neoformans cryptococcus are rare. We describe a case of an immunocompetent older male with cutaneous cryptococcosis caused by Naganishia albida following skin trauma, and conduct a literature review in PubMed, Lilacs, and Embase. Only six previous similar reports were found. The seven cases (including ours) were widely distributed geographically (Brazil, the US, the UK, Hungary, South Korea, and Iran), all males, and their ages varied, ranging from 14 to 86 years. Four individuals had underlying skin diseases (Sezary Syndrome, psoriasis, and skin rash without etiology) plus potentially immunosuppressive underlying conditions (diabetes mellitus, kidney transplantation, and the use of etanercept, adalimumab, and methylprednisolone). Cutaneous presentation was polymorphic, with lesions characterized as warts, ulcers, plaques, and even macules. Two patients presented disseminated disease. Serum cryptococcal antigen was negative in six patients, and diagnosis was made by fungal culture in all. There is a lack of data on optimal antifungal treatment and outcomes.