Cryptococcal Pneumonia in a Patient on Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Therapy: How Common Is It?

Abstract

Cryptococcal pneumonia is identified as a fungal infection of the lungs, with Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii as the most common culprits. Cryptococcus neoformans primarily affects immunocompromised individuals while Cryptococcus gattii infections occur mostly in immunocompetent hosts. We present a 76-year-old male on ibrutinib due to a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia who had multiple hospitalizations for pneumonia and was later diagnosed with cryptococcal pneumonia through positive bronchoalveolar lavage fungal culture and lymph node biopsy.

Keywords: chronic lymphocytic leukemia; cryptococcal pneumonia; cryptococcus gattii; ibrutinib therapy; immunocompromised; immunotherapy.