Direct Determination of Cryptococcal Antigen in Transthoracic Needle Aspirate for Diagnosis of Pulmonary Cryptococcosis

Pulmonary cryptococcosis causes significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. Definitive diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis is usually difficult. The use of direct determination of cryptococcal antigen in transthoracic needle aspirate to diagnose pulmonary cryptococcosis was investigated. Over a 2-year period, we studied a total of 41 patients with respiratory symptoms and pulmonary infiltrates of unknown etiology who were suspected of having pulmonary cryptococcosis. Twenty-two patients were immunocompetent patients and 19 patients were immunocompromised. A diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis was based on cytological examination, culture for Cryptococcus neoformans, histopathologic examination, and clinical response to antifungal therapy. All patients underwent chest ultrasound and ultrasound-guided percutaneous transthoracic needle aspiration to obtain specimens for cryptococcal antigen determination. The presence of cryptococcal antigen was determined by the latex agglutination system (CALAS; Meridian Diagnostics, Cincinnati, Ohio). An antigen titer equal to or greater than 1:8 was considered positive. The specimens were also sent for cytological examination, fungal culture, and/or histopathologic examination. A final diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis was made in eight patients. Direct determinations of cryptococcal antigen in lung aspirate were positive in all eight patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis (100% sensitivity, 97% specificity, a positive predictive value of 89%, and negative value of 100%), and there was only one false-positive in noncryptococcosis patients. The diagnostic accuracy was 97.5%. Serum cryptococcal antigen was positive in only three patients with pulmonary cryptococcosis (sensitivity, 37.5%). This study showed that direct measurement of cryptococcal antigen in lung aspirate can be a rapid and useful test for diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis.