Cryptococcosis: an emerging respiratory mycosis.

Cryptococcosis occurs in immunocompromised and, in special cases, immunocompetent individuals. There have been a number of important advances in the field, but, despite current treatment, patients continue to die of the infection. This article reviews cryptococcosis epidemiology, clinical features, and management. Current knowledge is incomplete, however, so this article also discusses some of the gaps in the present understanding of cryptococcosis. The hope is that current research striving to understand the mechanisms of host evasion of Cryptococcus will result in improved treatment regimens that decrease both the mortality and morbidity of cryptococcosis.