{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,24]],"date-time":"2026-01-24T13:39:22Z","timestamp":1769261962034,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Scientific Scholar","content-domain":{"domain":["surgicalneurologyint.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"\n Background:<\/jats:title>\n \n Cryptococcus neoformans<\/jats:italic>\n is an opportunistic fungus with marked neurotropism, classically affecting immunocompromised patients, even though occasionally reported in immunocompetent hosts. Skull involvement is exceptionally rare and may radiologically mimic malignant tumors, causing diagnostic delays.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Case Description:<\/jats:title>\n \n A 34-year-old immunocompetent male presented with a painless, progressive left parieto-occipital scalp swelling over 3 weeks. Imaging revealed a well-defined, dumbbell-shaped cystic mass beneath the scalp, causing lytic skull erosion and limited intracranial extension, suggestive of atypical meningioma or skull-based sarcoma. Surgical excision was performed, showing dural infiltration without leptomeningeal spread. Histopathology, the mass revealed granulomatous inflammation with abundant CD68+ histiocytes, mixed B- and T-cell infiltrates, and encapsulated budding yeasts (5\u201310 \u03bcm) within enlarged perivascular spaces. Gomori Methenamine Silver and periodic acid\u2013Schiff staining confirmed fungal elements; culture identified\n Cryptococcus<\/jats:italic>\n species.\n <\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>\n \n Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n Skull cryptococcosis in immunocompetent patients is rare but can occasionally present as an inflammatory pseudotumor with osteomyelitis and extracranial extension. Its imaging resemblance to aggressive neoplasms underscores the importance of including fungal etiologies in the differential diagnosis of destructive skull lesions, regardless of the immune status.<\/jats:p>\n <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.25259\/sni_1223_2025","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]],"date-time":"2026-01-23T06:58:22Z","timestamp":1769151502000},"page":"45","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.25259\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Cryptococcal dumbbell inflammatory pseudotumor mimicking skull histiocytic sarcoma in immunocompetent patient"],"prefix":"10.25259","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Luca","family":"Ruggeri","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Evier Andrea","family":"Giovannini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giovanni Alessandro","family":"Cinquemani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Rita","family":"Lipani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roberta Lo","family":"Coco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Jaime","family":"Mandelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Neurosurgery, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Giovanni Salvatore","family":"Urrico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pathology, Sant\u2019Elia Hospital, Caltanissetta, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"10894","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"10.25259\/SNI_1223_2025\/ref-1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"586","DOI":"10.3390\/jof10080586","article-title":"Mechanisms and virulence factors of Cryptococcus neoformans dissemination to the central nervous system","volume":"10","author":"Al-Huthaifi","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Fungi (Basel)"},{"key":"10.25259\/SNI_1223_2025\/ref-2","first-page":"158","article-title":"Cryptococcososis of bone marrow: A case report with review of literature","volume":"8","author":"Ashwini","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Clin Diagn Res"},{"key":"10.25259\/SNI_1223_2025\/ref-3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"114","DOI":"10.25259\/SNI_1243_2021","article-title":"Brain cryptococcoma 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