Encephalomyelitis due to Cryptococcus neoformans var gattii presenting as spinal tumour: case report and review of the literature

Abstract

A 24 year old immunocompetent German resident is described who developed multifocal encephalomyelitis due to infection with Cryptococcus neoformans var gatti, commonly considered a disease of tropical regions. In the light of current knowlege on the epidemiology of C neoformans var gatti and the travel history of the patient it is assumed that the infection was aquired outside Europe. As exclusive intramedullary involvement is an outstandingly rare manifestation in spinal cryptococcosis, the particular diagnostic procedure and the therapeutic stratagies are discussed (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2001;70:113-116)

Follow‐up of epidemiological data of cryptococcosis in Austria, Germany and Switzerland with special focus on the characterization of clinical isolates

“…gattii isolates: although both of them belong to serotype B and genotype VGIII, the isolate of a patient, most probably infected in Canada, had the ITS type AAAC (America‐2), the other isolate had the ITS type AAGG (America‐1). These results might confirm, that the latter patient, who travelled to Tunesia as well as to California, but remembered, that she was directly exposed to Eucalyptus trees in California, 34 acquired cryptococcosis in the US.…”

Molecular typing ofCryptococcus neoformansby PCR fingerprinting, in comparison with serotyping and Fourier transform infrared-spectroscopy-based phenotyping

“…Isolates in the latter group predominantly originate from US [6]. Interestingly, our finding that an isolate from a German patient who had travelled to Tunisia and California [58] was genotype VGIII suggests that the cryptococcosis in this case was acquired in the US. ITS sequencing disclosed ITS type 'America-1' as defined by Imai et al [56].…”

Late clinical and magnetic resonance imaging follow up of Nipah virus infection

“…We believe this to be the first report of spinal cord Nipah virus lesion confirmed by MR imaging, although signs such as segmental myoclonus, flaccid tetraplegia, and nerve conduction studies have suggested spinal cord involvement in other reported series. 7 Infection of the spinal cord by the poliovirus, echovirus, and cryptococus [15][16][17] has been reported. Our finding of combined encephalitis and myelitis bears some similarity to the 1998 enterovirus 71 outbreak of encephalomyelitis in Taiwan, where abnormalities were also detected in both the brain and spine by MR imaging.…”