Disseminated Cryptococcosis

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Abstract
INFECTIONS from bacterial, viral, fungal, or parasitic organisms are quite common in the immunosuppressed patient, and the physician is often faced with the problem of obtaining a diagnosis in a seriously ill patient so that appropriate therapy may be started without delay. We report the case of a patient in whom severe respiratory distress developed four months after starting prednisolone therapy for a complication of cataract surgery. A diagnosis of disseminated cryptococcal infection was established by flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy with transbronchial forceps lung biopsy. Report of a Case A 67-year-old man was admitted to Valley Hospital for the second time on Aug 13, 1975, complaining of increasing shortness of breath, fever, nonproductive cough, and a persistent headache of one week's duration. In April 1975, he had undergone cataract surgery without complication, but in May 1975, a keratitis developed in the operated eye, and prednisolone treatment was begun. During the summer,