The fungus Cryptococcus neoformans causes cryptococcosis, also called torulosis and European blastomycosis. Cryptococcosis usually begins as an asymptomatic pulmonary infection but disseminates to extrapulmonary sites, usually to the central nervous system (CNS) but also to the skin, bones, prostate gland, liver, or kidneys.

Cryptococcosis is most prevalent in men, usually those between the ages of 30 and 60, and is rare in children. It’s especially likely to develop in immunocompromised patients, such as those with Hodgkin’s disease, sarcoidosis, leukemia, or lymphoma and those who are receiving immunosuppressive agents. Currently, patients with late infection with HIV are by far the most commonly affected group.

With appropriate treatment, the prognosis in pulmonary cryptococcosis is good. CNS infection, however, can be fatal, but treatment dramatically reduces mortality.