Todayโs path rounds are on ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ!
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐๐จ๐๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฌ is a disease caused by the fungal pathogen ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฉ๐ญ๐จ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ. This fungus can be found around the world!
๐๐ก๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Any species can get this! However, we most commonly think of it in cats.
๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ?
Cryptococcus is typically found in the soil, decaying organic matter, or bird ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ง๐จ (the fancy word for poop). Typically, the animal will become infected when it inhales small spores or yeasts of the fungus. The spores will settle into the alveoli of the lungs, and gain access into the bloodstream. From there, the fungus spreads all around the body, forming ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ (nodules of cell debris).
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ?
As a general rule, your internal organs donโt like having strange, foreign invaders! Depending on the organ affected, you may see a wide variety of clinical signs. For example, granulomas in the brain can cause neurologic signs like ๐๐ญ๐๐ฑ๐ข๐ (irregular gait) or seizures. Lesions in the eyes can cause blindness. Lesions in the skin can become ulcerated and painful. Etc, etc.
For kitties, most of the time Cryptococcus stays limited to the upper respiratory tract. This can cause sneezing and nasal discharge in mild forms, but severe cases can have formation of large granulomas that distort the shape of the nose.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฌ๐๐?
This diagnosis is fairly easy to make, as you can see the yeasts of Cryptococcus under the microscope! So veterinarians can either submit a ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฒ of a granuloma, or they can do a ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ of nasal discharge on a slide to see the fungus directly.
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐?
Cryptococcus is susceptible to our common antifungals, like ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ณ๐จ๐ฅ๐ or ๐ข๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ณ๐จ๐ฅ๐. The prognosis for mild cases is quite good, however more severe cases with widely dispersed granulomas may have a poorer prognosis.
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ฌ
1-2) Some poor kitties with large granulomas deforming their facial structure.
3) An example of Cryptococcus granulomas in the nasal passage of a horse.
4) A granuloma in the brain!
5-6) What a pathologist might see on a ๐๐ฒ๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ ๐ฒ, or a smear of affected fluids. Can you see the thick walled yeasts?
๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ
Maxie, G. Jubb, Kennedy and Palmerโs Pathology of Domestic Animals, Volume 2. Sixth Edition.
Taboada J. Cryptococcosis. Merck Veterinary Manual 2020.
Photos 1-6 ยฉ Noahโs Arkive contributors Camus, Scruggs, Kesdangsakonwut, Acland, Holshuh, Moore licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
