Main risk factors are T-cell deficiency (AIDS patients), corticosteroid therapy, organ transplantation, hematological malignancy. About 10% of AIDS patients develop cryptococcal infection.

Yeast cells are inhaled, and in otherwise healthy humans can cause asymptomatic or mild pneumonia; if risk factors are present, cryptococci spread through blood and have special predilection for meninges, but can disseminate in different organs too.