Oral manifestations of disseminated Cryptococcus neoformans in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

A palatal lesion was the initial manifestation of disseminated cryptococcosis in a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The diagnosis was initially verified with cytologic smears in situ and later confirmed with pathologic findings from an excisional biopsy specimen. As cryptococcosis is one of the major opportunistic infections in persons with AIDS, an increased incidence of oral manifestations of cryptococcosis can be expected.