C. gattii cryptococcosis Diagnosis and Testing

This 800X magnification photomicrograph shows a sample of lung tissue infected with Cryptococcus fungal organisms. Credit: CDC, 1971.

The diagnosis can be made by microscopic examination and/or culture of tissue or body fluids such as blood, cerebrospinal fluid, and sputum. Culture of the organism is essential to differentiate between the different species of Cryptococcus – C. gattii cannot currently be distinguished from C. neoformans without special laboratory testing available at CDC and at some state health department laboratories.