MASSIVE THORACIC AND CERVICAL LYMPHADENITIS OF CRYPTOCOCCAL AETIOLOGY IN AN IMMUNOCOMPETENT ADULT A rare case report

Introduction:-Cryptococcus infection is the second most common life?threatening; opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)infected individuals after Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Most cryptococcal infections start in the respiratory tract and secondarily involve the central nervous system, skin and bone marrow but rarely disseminate to lymph nodes and chest wall. Case presentation: Cases of multiple cryptococcal lymphadenitis with or without meningitis is very rarely reported in immunocompetent individuals. Here, we report a rare case ofmultiple (cervical, axillary, supraclavicular and mediastinal) cryptococcal lymphadenitis extending to the chest wall without meningitis in an immunocompetent patient diagnosed by fine?needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the involved lymph nodes. Conclusion: To conclude one should have a cautious approach towards the diagnosis and treatment of granulomatous lymphadenitis and should not be biased towards TB. Even if caseous necrosis is present, we should look for other causes of granulomatous diseases. Absence of immune suppression should not be a reason to exclude cryptococcosis from the differential diagnosis.