Current Medical Mycology

Current Medical Mycology

Disseminated Cryptococcosis in a patient with idiopathic chylothorax and chylous ascites treated with a denver peritoneo-venous shunt: a case report and review of the literature

Document Type : Case report

Authors
Kyotaro Kawase 1
Yoshitaka Wakabayashi 1
Shin Nakayama 1
Ai Yamamoto 1
Kiichi Watanabe 2
Masayoshi Yamamoto 2
Takatoshi Kitazawa 1
1 Department of Internal Medicine, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
2 Department of Radiology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
10.22034/cmm.2025.345449.1689
Abstract
Background and Purpose: Disseminated cryptococcosis is an opportunistic infection in immunocompromised individuals. Chronic idiopathic chylothorax and chylous ascites can cause immunodeficiency via loss of immunoglobulin and lymphocytes in the late stage.
Case presentation: This study aimed to present a case of disseminated cryptococcosis shortly after duodenal perforation in an immunocompetent patient with idiopathic chylothorax and chylous ascites that had been treated with a Denver peritoneo-venous shunt. Diagnosis of dissemination was confirmed by positive cryptococcal culture of blood, pleural effusion, ascites, and the removed shunt. The patient had low CD4+ lymphocytes and hypogammaglobulinemia at the onset of cryptococcosis.
Conclusion: It should be noted that cryptococcosis can also occur in cases of idiopathic chylothorax and chylous ascites with low CD4+ or gamma globulin levels.
 Keywords: Denver peritoneo-venous shunt, Disseminated cryptococcosis, Duodenal perforation, Chylothorax, Chylous ascites
Keywords
Denver peritoneo-venous shunt
Disseminated cryptococcosis
Duodenal perforation
Chylothorax
Chylous ascites
Subjects
Current Medical Mycology
Volume 12, Continuous
2026 Article ID:1689

  • Receive Date 30 May 2025
  • Revise Date 03 October 2025
  • Accept Date 10 November 2025
  • Publish Date 01 February 2026