Unusual morphologies of Cryptococcus spp. in tissue specimens: report of 10 cases

• Autor(a) principal: Gazzoni, Alexandra Flávia
• Data de Publicação: 2010
• Outros Autores: Oliveira, Flávio de Mattos, Salles, Emily Ferreira, Mayayo, Emilio, Guarro, Josep, Capilla, Javier, Severo, Luiz Carlos
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo
• Texto Completo: https://www.revistas.usp.br/rimtsp/article/view/31322
• topic: Cryptococcosis; Pseudohyphae; Chains of budding yeasts; Germ tube-like structures; Nonencapsulated yeast-like organisms

Ten cases of cryptococcosis due to unusual microscopic forms of Cryptococcus sp. observed over a twenty-eight year period (1981-2009) are presented. The most important clinicopathological and laboratory data are tabulated. The uncommon forms of cryptococcal cells given are: structures resembling germ tube (one case), chains of budding yeasts (one case), pseudohyphae (two cases) and nonencapsulated yeast-like organisms (eight cases). The diagnosis was based on the histopathological findings. The causative organism was isolated and identified in seven cases; five were due to C. neoformans, and two to C. gattii. In addition, the importance of using staining histochemical techniques - Grocott's silver stain (GMS), Mayer's mucicarmine stain (MM) and Fontana-Masson stain (FM) - in the diagnosis of cryptococcosis is argued.