Cutaneous cryptococcosis with atypical location in a cat - case report

Abstract

ABSTRACT Cryptococcosis is a rare systemic mycosis among pathogenic fungi, yet it is recognized for its clinical importance in felines. This paper reports on a clinical case of cutaneous cryptococcosis in a domestic cat (Felis catus), presenting a single lesion on the abdominal wall, without ulceration, an uncommon presentation in veterinary literature. The 7-year-old cat had normal laboratory parameters, which contrast with most reports of systemic fungal infections. Diagnosis was based on cytology obtained through fine-needle aspiration (FNA), stained with Panoptic stain and complemented by the India ink technique, highlighting the polysaccharide capsule of Cryptococcus spp. Antifungal therapy with itraconazole and fluconazole, both administered orally, was initiated. Despite early treatment, the cat died of cardiorespiratory arrest on the fourth day of hospitalization. This report emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis, even in atypical clinical presentations, and highlights cytology with specific staining as an accessible and effective diagnostic tool, as well as alerting to the possibility of fulminant disease progression even in the absence of evident clinical and laboratory changes.