Papers of the Week

Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) is an invasive pulmonary fungal disease caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or Cryptococcus gattii. Cryptococcus is the opportunistic pathogen. Immune damage and chronic consumptive diseases are the high risk. The prevalence of cryptococcus infection is 5% to 10% in individuals with weakened immune function. In recent years, with the application of glucocorticoids, antitumor drugs, and broad-spectrum antibiotics, the prevalence of cryptococcal infection has increased yearly. Cryptococcus infection can also occur in normal people without underlying diseases. One in every 100,000 individuals with normal immune function is also affected, but these cases are often misdiagnosed due to inadequate understanding and low awareness of PC in individuals with normal immune function. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of PC in patients with normal immune function to improve the diagnosis and treatment of these cases.