Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Cryptococcus-like changes in the setting of vasculitis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Fresco, A; Wang, J; Krausz, A; Chan, A; Franco, L; Garelik, J; Gatica, M; Balagula, Y; McLellan, B; Jacobson, M; Amin, B
Published in: J Cutan Pathol
February 2019

Cutaneous vasculitis has many underlying causes, and the clinical and histological findings often overlap. Inflammatory vasculitis can mimic infection; however, distinction is critical for the timely institution of appropriate therapy. We present two patients who had generalized polymorphous eruptions whose cutaneous pathology showed vasculitis with unusual haloed yeast-like cells within the inflammatory infiltrate, mimicking Cryptococcus. The unusual cells stained negatively with Gomori methenamine silver and periodic acid-Schiff fungal stains, but positively for CD68 and had cytoplasmic reactivity with antibody to myeloperoxidase (MPO). Both patients had positive serum anti-MPO antibodies. The first patient experienced a rapidly fatal course, whereas the second patient improved with prompt initiation of systemic corticosteroids. Interestingly, the second case had prior biopsy showing Sweet syndrome with crypotoccoid-appearing cells. Cryptococcoid cells have been described previously in association with neutrophilic dermatoses, but not in the setting of vasculitis as was seen in our patients. Our cases add to the existing literature on crypotoccoid mimickers, and are the first to be reported in association with vasculitis.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Cutan Pathol

DOI

EISSN

1600-0560

Publication Date

February 2019

Volume

46

Issue

2

Start / End Page

143 / 147

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Vasculitis
  • Sweet Syndrome
  • Skin Diseases, Vascular
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Dermatomycoses
  • Dermatology & Venereal Diseases
  • Cryptococcus
  • Cryptococcosis
  • Aged
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Fresco, A., Wang, J., Krausz, A., Chan, A., Franco, L., Garelik, J., … Amin, B. (2019). Cryptococcus-like changes in the setting of vasculitis. J Cutan Pathol, 46(2), 143–147. https://doi.org/10.1111/cup.13380
Fresco, Amber, Jenny Wang, Aimee Krausz, Aegean Chan, Loren Franco, Jessica Garelik, Michelle Gatica, et al. “Cryptococcus-like changes in the setting of vasculitis.J Cutan Pathol 46, no. 2 (February 2019): 143–47. https://doi.org/10.1111/cup.13380.
Fresco A, Wang J, Krausz A, Chan A, Franco L, Garelik J, et al. Cryptococcus-like changes in the setting of vasculitis. J Cutan Pathol. 2019 Feb;46(2):143–7.
Fresco, Amber, et al. “Cryptococcus-like changes in the setting of vasculitis.J Cutan Pathol, vol. 46, no. 2, Feb. 2019, pp. 143–47. Pubmed, doi:10.1111/cup.13380.
Fresco A, Wang J, Krausz A, Chan A, Franco L, Garelik J, Gatica M, Balagula Y, McLellan B, Jacobson M, Amin B. Cryptococcus-like changes in the setting of vasculitis. J Cutan Pathol. 2019 Feb;46(2):143–147.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Cutan Pathol

DOI

EISSN

1600-0560

Publication Date

February 2019

Volume

46

Issue

2

Start / End Page

143 / 147

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Vasculitis
  • Sweet Syndrome
  • Skin Diseases, Vascular
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Dermatomycoses
  • Dermatology & Venereal Diseases
  • Cryptococcus
  • Cryptococcosis
  • Aged