Pathological rib fracture and soft tissue mass simulating malignancy--Cryptococcus, an unsuspected culprit.

A patient presented with a pathological rib fraction and associated soft tissue mass thought initially to represent a soft tissue neoplasm. However, further consideration of infectious etiologies led to the identification of cryptococcal osteomyelitis. Cryptococcus infection should be considered in the differential of pathological fractures with soft tissue involvement.