[Pulmonary cryptococcosis exhibiting diffuse multiple nodular shadows].

We report a case of pulmonary cryptococcosis showing diffuse multiple nodular shadows in all lung fields. A 39-year-old woman with no immunological abnormalities was admitted with complaints of cough and sputum. She had experienced measles 4 weeks prior to admission. Chest x-ray films revealed diffuse nodular opacities throughout the lung fields, a finding suggestive of metastatic lung cancer. Detailed examinations, including transbronchial lung biopsy, were not conclusive. A diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis was made on the basis of findings from video-assisted thoracoscopic biopsy. Primary pulmonary cryptococcosis usually appears as a solitary nodule or limited infiltration. Immunologically compromised hosts commonly demonstrate various abnormal shadows, such as the multiple nodular shadows observed in our patient. It has been reported that measles infection can cause temporary immune suppression. Secondary immunodeficiency resulting from the preceding infection with measles could explain the unusual chest x-ray findings in this case.