Morphologic features and clinical significance of skin involvement in patients with AIDS-related cryptococcosis.

Eight out of 30 consecutive patients with AIDS and cryptococcal meningoencephalitis (26,7%) presented cutaneous involvement, in the form of papulo-nodular lesions in 3 patients, molluscum contagiosum-like lesions in 3 patients, and pustular-ulcerative lesions in 2 patients. Skin localization represented an untoward prognostic sign, and in 3 out of 8 patients the lesions were diagnosed 2 to 6 weeks before the onset of systemic and neurologic signs and symptoms of the disease. A systematical examination of all suspected cutaneous lesions in subjects with advanced HIV disease may lead to an earlier diagnosis and treatment of disseminated cryptococcosis.