Fig. 3
From: Cryptococcus neoformans, a global threat to human health
Diagnosis of cryptococcal infections. India ink microscopy, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture, and detection of cryptococcal antigen in serum or CSF are three protocols for diagnosis of cryptococcal infections. India ink microscopy remains the primary diagnostic tool for identifying Cryptococcus in CSF. CSF fungal culture is the gold standard for diagnosis of cryptococcal meningitis. The detection of cryptococcal antigens, the capsular polysaccharide glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), is a very sensitive, specific, and effective test to detect cryptococcal infections. The antigen test was mainly performed through the Latex agglutination test (LAT), Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA) and Lateral flow assay (LFA).