Pulmonary cryptococcosis (PC) exhibits diverse imaging manifestations, but solitary ground-glass opacity (GGO) as the initial finding on computed tomography (CT) is rarely reported. Limited clinical awareness may lead to misdiagnosis as tumors or tuberculosis, often resulting in unnecessary surgical intervention or anti-tuberculosis therapy. This paper reports a young immunocompetent female patient whose initial CT revealed a solitary GGO in the right lower lobe of lung. Over the course of nearly three months, the lesion progressed to a solid nodule and was ultimately diagnosed as PC through percutaneous lung biopsy. The patient achieved complete recovery with oral fluconazole therapy. This paper reviews the clinical characteristics and imaging progression patterns of such patients by combining relevant literatures, aiming to provide a reference for clinicians.