Oral Cryptococcosis

Oral mucosal lesions of cryptococcosis are extremely rare and have been mainly reported in AIDS patients who suffered of disseminated infection.The oral manifestations very rarely represents a primary infection.The few oral cases reported in the literature has been the result of hematogenous spread of the infection localized in the lungs of AIDS patients and in persons with predisposing factors such as lymphoma, chronic leukemia, prolonged use of corticosteroids, and organ transplant. The oral lesions have been described as ulcer in tongue, palate, non healing ulceration after tooth extraction, hyperplastic tissue or mimicking bening or malignant tumors locallized in different zones of the oral cavity. Sample biopsies and the use of appropriate laboratory techniques are fundamental for the correct diagnosis of any of these lesions found in immune suppressed persons or in AIDS patients, particularly if not receiving HAART.