Abstract
A focal primary pulmonary lesion of cryptococcosis is an indication of surgical incision. Fifty-three cases of pulmonary cryptococcosis, including our series of 3 cases, were reported in Japan from 1964 to 1980. The review of those cases revealed that successful surgical resection was performed in 40 patients, 24 cases of lobectomy, 8 cases of segmentectomy, 5 cases of partial resection and 3 cases of lung biopsy. A half of them was diagnosed preoperatively as lung cancer. Eleven patients were treated solely with antifungal chemotherapy and 2 patients were free of any treatment. Among 40 patients operated, 3 cases were treated with antifungal chemotherapy prior to the operation and postoperative treatment with antifungal chemotherapy was performed in 16 cases. As the transbronchial lung biopsy has been increasing the usefulness, 23 cases were diagnosed as pulmonary cryptococcosis prior to the initiation of treatment. Nine patients were operated among these patients, 6 cases with discrete circumscribed masses without the sign of meningeal involvement, 1 case which fails to respond to antifungal chemotherapy showing persistent positive culture, 1 case of local recurrence and 1 case without noticeable alterations of clinical manifestation.
