AUTHOR=Panda Ashwin Kumar , Hazra Sourav , Anthony Aldrin , Kushwaha Suman 

TITLE=Cryptococcal infection causing longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis in an immunocompetent individual: Case report and literature review

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neurology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neurology/articles/10.3389/fneur.2023.1171572

DOI=10.3389/fneur.2023.1171572

ISSN=1664-2295

ABSTRACT=<p>Cryptococcal CNS infections in immunocompetent individuals are occasionally reported in literature. The spinal manifestations of cryptococcal CNS infections are epidural abscess, chronic arachnoiditis, intramedullary granuloma, myelitis and vasculitis. We report a rare case of CNS cryptococcal infection presenting as a longitudinal extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) in an immunocompetent male. This report highlights cryptococcus as an important etiology among infectious causes in acute LETM patients in-spite of the immunocompetent status of the patient and the utility of CRAG (cryptococcal antigen) for diagnosis in such patients. We also present a literature review of all reported cases of cryptococcal myelitis.</p>