ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.
Sec. Clinical Infectious Diseases
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcimb.2025.1653458
Cryptococcosis in Patients with Myasthenia Gravis: Clinical Characteristics and Management Strategy
Provisionally accepted
Ce Zhang
Mengyao LvXiaotong ZhangShu WangChengshuai YangQiuting Wang
Luyuan MaZiyue LiCaiyan Zhao*
Qian Zhao*
Chuan Shen*- Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, China
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Abstract Cryptococcosis, while well-documented in immunocompromised hosts, remains a rare complication in myasthenia gravis (MG) patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapy. We report three cases of cryptococcal infection in MG patients, supplemented by a comprehensive literature review of 14 additional cases, highlighting the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in this population. The cohort (median age 57.1 years) demonstrated predominant central nervous system (52.9%), pulmonary (47.1%), and cutaneous (23.5%) involvement, with disseminated disease correlating with markedly decreased CD4+ T cells. Diagnostic complexity arose from imaging findings mimicking malignancies. Management required tailored antifungal regimens (amphotericin B, fluconazole, flucytosine) and careful therapeutic drug monitoring to address immunosuppressant interactions. All cases achieved clinical resolution, emphasizing the importance of early recognition, multidisciplinary care, and individualized treatment strategies. These findings underscore the need for heightened clinical vigilance and further research to optimize outcomes in this vulnerable patient population.
Keywords: Cryptococcosis, Thymoma, Myasthenia Gravis, immunocompromised, Antifungal
Received: 25 Jun 2025; Accepted: 20 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhang, Lv, Zhang, Wang, Yang, Wang, Ma, Li, Zhao, Zhao and Shen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Caiyan Zhao, zhacy2005@163.com
Qian Zhao, zhaoqian1990_hi@163.com
Chuan Shen, shenchuan33@hebmu.edu.cn
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