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1.
Mycoses ; 67(4): e13726, 2024 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38644511

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Dimorphic fungi cause infection following the inhalation of spores into the pulmonary system. In the lower respiratory tract, the conidia transform into yeasts, which are engulfed by alveolar macrophages and may be destroyed without disease manifestation. However, in some immunocompromised individuals, they may persist and cause active fungal disease characterized by formation of granulomas in the infected tissues, which may mimic Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary dimorphic fungal infections among HIV/AIDS patients with non-TB chronic cough at Mulago National Referral and Teaching Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. METHODS: Sputum samples were collected from 175 consented HIV/AIDS patients attending the immuno-suppression syndrome (ISS) clinic at the hospital. Upon Xpert MTB/RIF sputum testing, 21 patients tested positive for MTB, and these were excluded from further analysis. The other 154 sputum negative samples were then subjected to PCR for dimorphic fungi at MBN Clinical Laboratories. Singleplex PCR was used to detect the target sequences in selected respective genes of each dimorphic fungal species of interest. DNA amplicons were detected based on gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Dimorphic fungi were detected in 16.2% (25/154) of the studied population. Of these 9.1% (14/154) had Blastomyces dermatitidis and 7.1% (11/154) had Talaromyces marneffei. The remaining 84% of the studied participants had no dimorphic fungi. Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were not detected in any of the participants. CONCLUSION: Dimorphic fungi (B. dermatitidis and T. marneffei) were found in 16.2% of the HIV/AIDS patients with non-TB chronic cough in Kampala, Uganda. We recommend routine testing for these pathogens among HIV/AIDS patients with chronic cough.


Subject(s)
Cough , HIV Infections , Sputum , Humans , Uganda/epidemiology , Male , Female , Adult , Cough/microbiology , Sputum/microbiology , Middle Aged , Prevalence , HIV Infections/complications , HIV Infections/microbiology , Chronic Disease , Lung Diseases, Fungal/microbiology , Lung Diseases, Fungal/epidemiology , Lung Diseases, Fungal/diagnosis , Talaromyces/isolation & purification , Talaromyces/genetics , Young Adult , Cross-Sectional Studies , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/microbiology , AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections/epidemiology , Chronic Cough
2.
Heliyon ; 10(2): e24420, 2024 Jan 30.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38298647

ABSTRACT

The dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii is widely distributed in soil, vegetation, and decaying organic matter, and can cause sporotrichosis when the patient's skin trauma was exposed to contaminated material with Sporothrix spp. The cases of Sporothrix schenckii infection in chronic wounds are rarely reported. Here we reported a 53-year-old male construction worker who was admitted to our hospital on July 9, 2022, without underlying disease presented with a painless subcutaneous hard nodule on his right calf, which later ulcerated and oozed, with an enlarged wound and no fever during the course of the disease. His procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased, and necrotic histopathology suggested chronic granulomatous inflammation. Then his necrotic tissue and pus were sent for metagenomic next generation sequencing(mNGS), the result reported Sporothrix schenckii after 43 hours, which was consistent with the result of culture after 18 days. mNGS might be more useful and valuable in diseases such as sporotrichosis where it is difficult to see the yeast cells in the tissues.

3.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol ; 13: 1118979, 2023.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37404721

ABSTRACT

Talaromycosis is a fungal infection that generally affects immunocompromised hosts and is one of the most frequent systemic mycoses in HIV patients, especially in endemic areas such as Southeast Asia. Talaromyces marneffei, the causative agent of talaromycosis, grows as a mold in the environment but adapts to the human body and host niches by transitioning from conidia to yeast-like cells. Knowledge of the human host and T. marneffei interaction has a direct impact on the diagnosis, yet studies are still lacking. The morbidity and mortality rates are high in taloromycosis patients if the diagnosis and treatments are delayed. Immunogenic proteins are excellent candidates for developing detection tools. Previously, we identified antigenic proteins that were recognized by antibodies from talaromycosis sera. Three of these identified proteins have been previously characterized in detail, while the others have not been explored. To expedite the progress of antigen discovery, the complete list of antigenic proteins and their features was fully reported in this study. Functional annotation and Gene Ontology examination revealed that these proteins showed a high association with membrane trafficking. Further bioinformatics analyses were performed to search for antigenic protein characteristics, including functional domains, critical residues, subcellular localization, secretory signals, and epitope peptide sequences. Expression profiling of these antigenic encoding genes was investigated using quantitative real-time PCR. The results demonstrated that most genes were expressed at low levels in the mold form, but were highly upregulated in the pathogenic yeast phase, consistent with the antigenic role of these genes during the human-host interaction. Most transcripts accumulated in the conidia, suggesting a role during phase transition. The collection of all antigen-encoding DNA sequences described here is freely accessible at GenBank, which could be useful for the research community to develop into biomarkers, diagnostic tests, research detection tools, and even vaccines.


Subject(s)
HIV Infections , Mycoses , Humans , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Mycoses/diagnosis
4.
Emerg Infect Dis ; 29(3): 635-639, 2023 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36823688

ABSTRACT

A 65-year-old man with HIV sought treatment for fever, weight loss, and productive cough after returning to the United States from Liberia. Fungal cultures grew Emergomyces pasteurianus, and the patient's health improved after beginning voriconazole. We describe the clinical case and review the literature, treatment, and susceptibilities for E. pasteurianus.


Subject(s)
Mycoses , Onygenales , Humans , United States , Aged , Mycoses/microbiology , Liberia , Voriconazole
5.
China Tropical Medicine ; (12): 139-2023.
Article in Chinese | WPRIM (Western Pacific) | ID: wpr-979606

ABSTRACT

@#Abstract:Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and early diagnostic methods of patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, so as to reduce the mortality of patients. Methods The clinical characteristics and microbiological analysis data including fungal culture, smear examination and mass spectrometry were collected from 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection in the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Tuberculosis, and Department of Critical Respiratory Medicine in Fuzhou Pulmonary Hospital from January 2017 to December 2021, and descriptive analysis was conducted. Results All the 18 patients were confirmed to be infected with Talaromyces marneffei by conventional culture and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). The main infection sites of 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection were lungs and lymph nodes, and the patients were accompanied by clinical manifestations such as cough, sputum and fever. The imaging features such as patchy shadows, mediastinal lymph node shadows and nodular shadows were common. Microbiological testing showed a statistically significant difference between smear and culture with a higher positive culture rate (χ2=13.74, P<0.05). The positive rate of blood culture in microbiological test was 60.0% (9/15), the positive rate of bronchial lavage fluid culture was 26.7% (4/15), the positive rate of sputum culture was 5.6% (1/18), one case each of pus, bone marrow, pleural fluid and cerebrospinal fluid was positive for culture and the other cases were negative, one case of sputum and one case of pus were positive for smear and the rest were negative. Colony characteristics showed that the colony morphology was mycelial phase at 25 ℃, producing red pigment, and the branching pattern of the penicillus was seen microscopically as monoverticillate or biverticillate; At 35 ℃, the yeast phase appeared at the initial stage, and then the mycelium phase changed after 5-6 days; the yeast phase was observed at 37 ℃, and yeast-like cells were seen under the microscope. All 18 patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection got better after using antifungal drugs. Compared with non-HIV patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, leukopenia and anemia were common in HIV patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, and the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05).  Conclusions The infection of Talaromyces marneffei can be divided into localized type and disseminated type, which usually invade the lungs, skin, lymph nodes and other places. The main manifestations of patients are fever, cough, phlegm and other atypical symptoms. At present, the diagnosis of Talaromyces marneffei infection is mostly based on the fungal culture test, and the application of MALDI-TOF MS method can effectively shorten the diagnosis time of Talaromycosis marneffei. Clinical characteristics combined with microbiological analysis provide an objective basis for early diagnosis of patients with Talaromyces marneffei infection, and timely use of antifungal therapy can improve the prognosis of patients.

6.
Front Cell Infect Microbiol ; 12: 1023067, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36262181

ABSTRACT

Talaromyces (Penicillium) marneffei is an important dimorphic mycosis endemic in Southeast Asia and Southern China, but the origin and maintenance of virulence traits in this organism remains obscure. Several pathogenic fungi, including Cryptococcus neoformans, Aspergillus fumigatus, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Sporothrix schenckii, Histoplasma capsulatum and Paracoccidioides spp. interact with free living soil amoebae and data suggests that fungal pathogenic strategies may emerge from environmental interactions of these fungi with ubiquitous phagocytic microorganisms. In this study, we examined the interactions of T. marneffei with the soil amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii. T. marneffei was rapidly ingested by A. castellanii and phagocytosis of fungal cells resulted in amoeba death after 24 h of contact. Co-culture also resulted in a rapid transition for conidia to the fission-yeast form. In addition, well-established virulence factors such as melanin and a yeast specific mannoprotein of T. marneffei were expressed during interaction with A. castellanii at 37°C. Our findings support the assumption that soil amoebae environmental predators play a role in the selection and maintenance of particular features in T. marneffei that impart virulence to this clinically important dimorphic fungus in mammalian hosts.


Subject(s)
Amoeba , Talaromyces , Animals , Soil , Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Melanins , Virulence Factors , Mammals
7.
J Fungi (Basel) ; 8(8)2022 Aug 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36012847

ABSTRACT

Coccidioides immitis and posadasii are closely related fungal species that cause coccidioidomycosis. These dimorphic organisms cause disease in immunocompetent as well as immunocompromised individuals and as much as 40% of the population is infected in the endemic area. Although most infections resolve spontaneously, the infection can be prolonged and, in some instances, fatal. Coccidioides has been studied for more than 100 years and many aspects of the organism and the disease it causes have been investigated. There are over 500 manuscripts concerning Coccidioides (excluding clinical articles) referenced in PubMed over the past 50 years, so there is a large body of evidence to review. We reviewed the most accurate and informative basic research studies of these fungi including some seminal older studies as well as an extensive review of current research. This is an attempt to gather the most important basic research studies about this fungus into one publication. To focus this review, we will discuss the mycology of the organism exclusively rather than the studies of the host response or clinical studies. We hope that this review will be a useful resource to those interested in Coccidioides and coccidioidomycosis.

8.
BMC Infect Dis ; 22(1): 335, 2022 Apr 05.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35382751

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Aureobasidium melanigenum is a ubiquitous dematiaceous fungus that rarely causes invasive human infections. Here, we present a case of Aureobasidium melanigenum bloodstream infection in a 20-year-old man with long-term catheter use. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old man receiving home care with severe disabilities due to cerebral palsy and short bowel syndrome, resulting in long-term central venous catheter use, was referred to our hospital with a fever. After the detection of yeast-like cells in blood cultures on day 3, antifungal therapy was initiated. Two identification tests performed at a clinical microbiological laboratory showed different identification results: Aureobasidium pullulans from matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and Cryptococcus albidus from a VITEK2 system. Therefore, we changed the antifungal drug to liposomal amphotericin B. The fungus was identified as A. melanigenum by DNA sequence-based analysis. The patient recovered with antifungal therapy and long-term catheter removal. CONCLUSION: It is difficult to correctly identify A. melanigenum by routine microbiological testing. Clinicians must pay attention to the process of identification of yeast-like cells and retain A. melanigenum in cases of refractory fungal infection.


Subject(s)
Central Venous Catheters , Mycoses , Sepsis , Adult , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Aureobasidium , Humans , Male , Mycoses/drug therapy , Sepsis/drug therapy , Young Adult
9.
J Fungi (Basel) ; 7(5)2021 May 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34067070

ABSTRACT

Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii are dimorphic fungi that transform from mycelia with internal arthroconidia in the soil to a tissue form known as a spherule in mammals. This process can be recapitulated in vitro by increasing the temperature, CO2 and changing other culture conditions. In this study, we have analyzed changes in gene expression in mycelia and young and mature spherules. Genes that were highly upregulated in young spherules include a spherule surface protein and iron and copper membrane transporters. Genes that are unique to Coccidioides spp. are also overrepresented in this group, suggesting that they may be important for spherule differentiation. Enriched GO terms in young spherule upregulated genes include oxidation-reduction, response to stress and membrane proteins. Downregulated genes are enriched for transcription factors, especially helix-loop-helix and C2H2 type zinc finger domain-containing proteins, which is consistent with the dramatic change in transcriptional profile. Almost all genes that are upregulated in young spherules remain upregulated in mature spherules, but a small number of genes are differentially expressed in those two stages of spherule development. Mature spherules express more Hsp31 and amylase and less tyrosinase than young spherules. Some expression of transposons was detected and most of the differentially expressed transposons were upregulated in spherules.

10.
mSphere ; 6(2)2021 04 14.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33853870

ABSTRACT

Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is an endemic fungal pneumonia of the North and South American deserts. The causative agents of Valley fever are the dimorphic fungi Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, which grow as mycelia in the environment and as spherules within the lungs of vulnerable hosts. Current diagnostics for Valley fever are severely lacking due to poor sensitivity and invasiveness, contributing to a 23-day median time to diagnosis, and therefore, new diagnostic tools are needed. We are working toward the development of a breath-based diagnostic for coccidioidomycosis, and in this initial study, we characterized the volatile metabolomes (or volatilomes) of in vitro cultures of Coccidioides Using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time of flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS), we characterized the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by six strains of each species during mycelial or spherule growth. We detected a total of 353 VOCs that were at least 2-fold more abundant in a Coccidioides culture than in medium controls and found that the volatile metabolome of Coccidioides is more dependent on the growth phase (spherules versus mycelia) than on the species. The volatile profiles of C. immitis and C. posadasii have strong similarities, indicating that a single suite of Valley fever breath biomarkers can be developed to detect both species.IMPORTANCE Coccidioidomycosis, or Valley fever, causes up to 30% of community-acquired pneumonias in highly populated areas of the U.S. desert southwest where the disease is endemic. The infection is difficult to diagnose by standard serological and histopathological methods, which delays appropriate treatment. Therefore, we are working toward the development of breath-based diagnostics for Valley fever. In this study, we characterized the volatile metabolomes (or volatilomes) of six strains each of Coccidioides immitis and C. posadasii, the dimorphic fungal species that cause Valley fever. By analyzing the volatilomes during the two modes of growth of the fungus-mycelia and spherules-we observed that the life cycle plays a significant role in the volatiles produced by Coccidioides In contrast, we observed no significant differences in the C. immitis versus C. posadasii volatilomes. These data suggest that life cycle, rather than species, should guide the selection of putative biomarkers for a Valley fever breath test.


Subject(s)
Coccidioides/growth & development , Coccidioides/metabolism , Life Cycle Stages , Metabolome , Volatile Organic Compounds/analysis , Biomarkers/metabolism , Breath Tests/methods , Coccidioides/classification , Coccidioidomycosis/microbiology , Culture Media/chemistry , Humans , Mycelium/growth & development , Mycelium/metabolism
11.
Cell Microbiol ; 22(9): e13217, 2020 09.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32406582

ABSTRACT

Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus that most frequently causes pneumonia, but can also disseminate and proliferate in diverse tissues. Histoplasma capsulatum has a complex secretion system that mediates the release of macromolecule-degrading enzymes and virulence factors. The formation and release of extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an important mechanism for non-conventional secretion in both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. Histoplasma capsulatum EVs contain diverse proteins associated with virulence and are immunologically active. Despite the growing knowledge of EVs from H. capsulatum and other pathogenic fungi, the extent that changes in the environment impact the sorting of organic molecules in EVs has not been investigated. In this study, we cultivated H. capsulatum with distinct culture media to investigate the potential plasticity in EV loading in response to differences in nutrition. Our findings reveal that nutrition plays an important role in EV loading and formation, which may translate into differences in biological activities of these fungi in various fluids and tissues.


Subject(s)
Culture Media/chemistry , Extracellular Vesicles/metabolism , Histoplasma/metabolism , Nutrients/pharmacology , Culture Media/pharmacology , Extracellular Vesicles/chemistry , Extracellular Vesicles/drug effects , Fungal Proteins/metabolism , Histoplasma/drug effects
12.
J Microbiol ; 58(1): 11-16, 2020 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31187414

ABSTRACT

A chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay is a method to identify how much a protein of interest binds to the DNA region. This method is indispensable to study the mechanisms of how the transcription factors or chromatin modifications regulate the gene expression. Candida albicans is a dimorphic pathogenic fungus, which can change its morphology very rapidly from yeast to hypha in response to the environmental signal. The morphological change of C. albicans is one of the critical factors for its virulence. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how to regulate the expression of genes for C. albicans to change its morphology. One of the essential methods for us to understand this regulation is a ChIP assay. There have been many efforts to optimize the protocol to lower the background signal and to analyze the results accurately because a ChIP assay can provide very different results even with slight differences in the experimental procedure. We have optimized the rapid and efficient ChIP protocol so that it could be applied equally for both yeast and hyphal forms of C. albicans. Our method in this protocol is also comparatively rapid to the method widely used. In this protocol, we described our rapid method for the ChIP assay in C. albicans in detail.


Subject(s)
Candida albicans/genetics , Chromatin Immunoprecipitation/methods , Hyphae/genetics , Fungal Proteins/genetics , Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal , Transcription Factors/genetics
14.
Med Mycol Case Rep ; 26: 10-12, 2019 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31667051

ABSTRACT

Talaromycosis is endemic in Southeast Asia and is commonly described in HIV-infected patients. We describe the first case of Talaromycosis in HIV-infected patient in Burkina Faso. This is an 83-year-old man with skin lesions on the right foot. The thick scales were used for the mycological examination. Microscopic examination of growth allowed isolation of Talaromyces marneffei in its yeast and mold forms. The patient was treated successfully with Itraconazole (400 mg/day) for 8 weeks.

15.
J Clin Microbiol ; 56(12)2018 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30257902

ABSTRACT

Coccidioidomycosis is associated with a broad spectrum of illness severity, ranging from asymptomatic or self-limited pulmonary infection to life-threatening manifestations of disseminated disease. Serologic studies before the widespread availability of antifungals established current understanding of serologic kinetics and dynamics. Chart histories and complement fixation (CF) titer trends were analyzed for 434 antifungal-treated coccidioidomycosis patients, who were classified by three infectious disease physicians as having either pulmonary uncomplicated coccidioidomycosis (PUC) (n = 248), pulmonary chronic coccidioidomycosis (PCC) (n = 64), disseminated coccidioidomycosis (DC) not including meningitis (n = 86), or coccidioidal meningitis (CM) (n = 36). The median maximal CF titers were 1:4 for PUC patients, 1:24 for PCC patients, 1:128 for DC patients, and 1:32 for CM patients. Approximately 25.4% of PUC patients, 6.2% of PCC patients, 2.3% of DC patients, and 8.3% of CM patients did not develop detectable titers during the study period. Maximal titers developed a mean of 31 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 13 to 50 days) after initial serologic positivity, with no significant differences between groups. Serologic recurrence occurred in 9% of PUC patients, 36% of PCC patients, 50% of DC patients, and 52% of CM patients. Median titer improvement rates were 91 days/dilution for PUC patients, 112 days/dilution for PCC patients, 136 days/dilution for DC patients, and 146 days/dilution for CM patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that CF testing retains moderate classification value for disseminated infections (area under the curve [AUC], 0.82 [95% CI, 0.78 to 0.87]) and complicated infections (AUC, 0.82 [95% CI, 0.77 to 0.86]). A suitable cutoff value for complicated infections is ≥1:32. Findings update serologic parameters that are relevant for clinical assessment of coccidioidomycosis patients in the triazole era.


Subject(s)
Coccidioidomycosis/classification , Coccidioidomycosis/immunology , Complement Fixation Tests , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Child , Child, Preschool , Coccidioides/drug effects , Coccidioides/immunology , Coccidioidomycosis/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Middle Aged , ROC Curve , Sensitivity and Specificity , Time Factors , Triazoles/pharmacology , Triazoles/therapeutic use , Young Adult
16.
BMC Infect Dis ; 18(1): 336, 2018 07 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30021526

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Blastomycosis is an endemic mycosis in North America that is caused by the dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. The illness is a systemic disease with a wide variety of pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. The initial presentation of blastomycosis may easily be mistaken for other infectious or non-infectious etiologies. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 52-year-old African-American male and former smoker that presented to his primary care provider with a 2-week history of non-productive cough, night sweats and weight loss. Initially diagnosed with primary lung malignancy, the patient was subsequently found to have pulmonary blastomycosis mimicking lung cancer. The patient underwent a successful course of treatment with posaconazole. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic blastomycosis can present with clinical and radiographic features indistinguishable from thoracic malignancies. There is no clinical syndrome specific for blastomycosis, thus a high degree of suspicion is required for early diagnosis. In this case report, we review recent evidence in radiographic features, diagnostic considerations and treatment of the disease.


Subject(s)
Blastomyces/genetics , Blastomycosis/diagnosis , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Blastomyces/isolation & purification , Blastomycosis/drug therapy , Blastomycosis/microbiology , DNA, Fungal/genetics , DNA, Fungal/metabolism , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Lung/pathology , Lung Neoplasms/diagnosis , Male , Middle Aged , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Triazoles/therapeutic use
17.
Cureus ; 10(1): e2095, 2018 Jan 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29568716

ABSTRACT

Blastomycosis is a dimorphic fungus caused by the species of Blastomyces dermatitidisand Blastomyces gilchristii, which are endemic to the Ohio River and Mississippi River Valleys. It is commonly found in soil or decomposing wood. It is capable of infecting both immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients via the respiratory tract by inhaling conidia, where it may remain asymptomatic for a prolonged period of time. Extrapulmonary complications can occur in disseminated disease due to haematogenous spread from the lungs to other organ systems. Haematogenous dissemination from the lungs occurs most commonly to the skin. Although rare, primary cutaneous blastomycosis can also occur with direct inoculation through the trauma of the skin. Patients presenting with cutaneous blastomycosis are often misdiagnosed with malignant neoplasms and may not be appropriately managed until further testing and tissue biopsy. Currently, there are only four previous case reports of blastomycosis presenting in the intranasal region. We report two cases of cutaneous blastomycosis of the nasal passages and upper lip with pulmonary manifestations in Southern West Virginia. These patients first presented with cutaneous symptoms, which were originally treated for melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma and were later diagnosed with systemic blastomycosis.

18.
J Med Case Rep ; 12(1): 7, 2018 Jan 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29325597

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Histoplasma capsulatum is a dimorphic fungus predominately found in soils enriched with bird and bat excreta. Although several cases of histoplasmosis have been reported in India, diagnosis using cytology has been done in very few cases. CASE PRESENTATION: We report here a case of disseminated histoplasmosis in a 46-year-old Indian man. CONCLUSION: Skin scrape cytology is a simple, safe, and rapid technique to establish the initial diagnosis, thus promoting early treatment and favorable outcome, in cutaneous fungal infections.


Subject(s)
Histoplasma/isolation & purification , Histoplasmosis/diagnosis , Skin , Early Diagnosis , Early Medical Intervention/methods , Histoplasmosis/etiology , Histoplasmosis/physiopathology , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Skin/microbiology , Skin/pathology
19.
Acta Clin Belg ; 73(5): 356-363, 2018 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28954600

ABSTRACT

Case report We report the case of a young Cameroonian woman who presented with cough, hyperthermia, weight loss, pancytopenia, and hepatosplenomegaly. A positive HIV serology was discovered and a chest radiography revealed a 'miliary pattern'. Bone marrow aspiration pointed out yeast inclusions within macrophages. Given the morphological aspect, the clinical presentation and immunosuppression, histoplasmosis was retained as a working hypothesis. Antiretroviral and amphotericin B treatments were promptly initiated. Review Given the immigration wave that Europe is currently experiencing, we think it is important to share experience and knowledge, especially in non-endemic areas such as Europe, where clinicians are not used to face this disease. Histoplasmosis is due to Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum, a dimorphic fungus. Infection occurs by inhaling spores contained in soils contaminated by bat or bird droppings. The clinical presentation depends on the immune status of the host and the importance of inoculum, varying from asymptomatic to disseminated forms. AIDS patients are particularly susceptible to develop a severe disease. Antigen detection, molecular biology techniques, and microscopic examination are used to make a rapid diagnosis. However, antigen detection is not available in Europe and diagnosis needs a strong clinical suspicion in non-endemic areas. Because of suggestive imagery, clinicians might focus on tuberculosis. Our case illustrates the need for clinicians to take histoplasmosis in the differential diagnosis, depending on the context and the patient's past history.


Subject(s)
AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections , Histoplasmosis , Adult , Amphotericin B/administration & dosage , Amphotericin B/therapeutic use , Anti-Retroviral Agents/administration & dosage , Anti-Retroviral Agents/therapeutic use , Antifungal Agents/administration & dosage , Antifungal Agents/therapeutic use , Bone Marrow Cells/microbiology , Bone Marrow Cells/pathology , Female , HIV Infections/diagnosis , HIV Infections/drug therapy , Histoplasma , Humans , Pancytopenia
20.
J Clin Microbiol ; 55(6): 1812-1820, 2017 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28356416

ABSTRACT

Disseminated emmonsiosis is an important AIDS-related mycosis in South Africa that is caused by Emergomycesafricanus, a newly described and renamed dimorphic fungal pathogen. In vitro antifungal susceptibility data can guide management. Identification of invasive clinical isolates was confirmed phenotypically and by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region. Yeast and mold phase MICs of fluconazole, voriconazole, itraconazole, posaconazole, caspofungin, anidulafungin, micafungin, and flucytosine were determined with custom-made frozen broth microdilution (BMD) panels in accordance with Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute recommendations. MICs of amphotericin B, itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole were determined by Etest. Fifty unique E. africanus isolates were tested. The yeast and mold phase geometric mean (GM) BMD and Etest MICs of itraconazole were 0.01 mg/liter. The voriconazole and posaconazole GM BMD MICs were 0.01 mg/liter for both phases, while the GM Etest MICs were 0.001 and 0.002 mg/liter, respectively. The fluconazole GM BMD MICs were 0.18 mg/liter for both phases. The GM Etest MICs of amphotericin B, for the yeast and mold phases were 0.03 and 0.01 mg/liter. The echinocandins and flucytosine had very limited in vitro activity. Treatment and outcome data were available for 37 patients; in a multivariable model including MIC data, only isolation from blood (odds ratio [OR], 8.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3 to 54.4; P = 0.02) or bone marrow (OR, 12.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 120.2; P = 0.03) (versus skin biopsy) was associated with death. In vitro susceptibility data support the management of disseminated emmonsiosis with amphotericin B, followed by itraconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole. Fluconazole was a relatively less potent agent.


Subject(s)
Antifungal Agents/pharmacology , Chrysosporium/drug effects , HIV Infections/complications , Mycoses/microbiology , Adult , Chrysosporium/classification , Chrysosporium/genetics , Chrysosporium/isolation & purification , DNA, Fungal/chemistry , DNA, Fungal/genetics , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/chemistry , DNA, Ribosomal Spacer/genetics , Female , Humans , Male , Microbial Sensitivity Tests , Sequence Analysis, DNA , South Africa
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