Cryptococcosis is a fungal infection caused by Cryptococcus neoformans or C. gattii, typically associated with immunosuppressed hosts (especially HIV/AIDS) and immunocompetent hosts, respectively. This work analyzes 69 cases diagnosed between 01/01/2015 and 03/30/2025 at a quaternary hospital, highlighting epidemiological characteristics, clinical forms, and geographic distribution, with the aim of enabling future multivariable causal and spatiotemporal analyses of outcomes such as death, relapse, and readmission. Observational, cross-sectional retrospective study as part of a preliminary descriptive analysis for a medical residency completion project. Electronic medical records of confirmed cryptococcosis cases were reviewed. Variables analyzed: age, sex, clinical form (neurocryptococcosis, pulmonary, disseminated, or unspecified), city and neighborhood of residence. Continuous data were presented as medians (interquartile range) and categorical data as proportions. Data were anonymized. Median age was 46 years (IQR 36–57), with the youngest being 23 and the oldest 83 at diagnosis. Males predominated (69%). Clinical forms were: neurocryptococcosis (56%), pulmonary (14%), disseminated (5.7%), and unspecified (24%). Most cases were from the state capital (64%), followed by metropolitan region municipalities (32.74%), and the interior (2.8%); one case lacked residence information. Relapse analysis showed 26.4% relapse rate (14 events): 81.1% had disease once, 13.2% had one relapse (7 cases), 3.8% had two relapses (2 cases), and one individual had three relapses. Neurocryptococcosis was the most frequent clinical form, with a demographic profile similar to the literature. The data reinforce the need for expanded surveillance, especially in risk groups, given the high morbidity and mortality. Geographic distribution suggests possible underreporting in peripheral regions, although it is compatible with the urban profile of the disease in the state. Despite the limitations inherent to retrospective analyses, the impact on outcomes depends on the evaluation of the species involved and other variables with potential explanatory value; therefore, further studies are needed to elucidate these issues.
Novaes et al. (Sun,) studied this question.