Cryptococcus gattii: A Poseur to Behold!

Cryptococcosis is an invasive systemic mycosis caused by Cryptococcus, a genus of yeast. Causative organisms for human cryptococcosis include Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii. Disease due to C.neoformans is conventionally seen in patients with underlying immunosuppression, whereas C.gattii-related infection is usually seen in immunocompetent people. The fact that the infection can occur among otherwise healthy individuals underscores the importance of having a necessary understanding of the pathophysiology and clinical and radiological presentations of the disease. We report a case of disseminated pulmonary and central nervous system (CNS) cryptococcosis in an apparently immunocompetent individual with unusual radiological findings necessitating probing for alternative diagnoses. We have attempted to supplement and revise the existing data on the radiological manifestations of C.gattii.