Biomaterial Database

Approach to the diagnosis of the endemic mycoses. 2009

L Joseph Wheat

MiraBella Technologies and MiraVista Diagnostics, Indianapolis, IN 46241, USA. jwheat@miravistalabs.com

The endemic mycoses are often overlooked in the evaluation of community-acquired pneumonia, and appropriate testing is not performed until the patient has failed to improve on antibacterial therapy. Antigen detection and fungal serology may be helpful in diagnosis of endemic mycoses as causes for pneumonia. Guidelines for recognition and evaluation of endemic mycoses as causes for community-acquired pneumonia are proposed. Performance of antigen testing on bronchial washings or lavage fluid may improve the sensitivity for diagnosis over microscopic examination and the speed of diagnosis over culture. This article focuses on antigen detection and serology for diagnosis of endemic mycoses. Of note is that isolation of the fungus by culture remains the only method for definitive diagnosis, and the only method for diagnosis in some patients.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D009181	Mycoses	Diseases caused by FUNGI.	Fungus Diseases,Fungal Diseases,Fungal Infections,Fungus Infections,Disease, Fungal,Disease, Fungus,Diseases, Fungal,Diseases, Fungus,Fungal Disease,Fungal Infection,Fungus Disease,Fungus Infection,Infection, Fungal,Infection, Fungus,Infections, Fungal,Infections, Fungus
D001759	Blastomycosis	A fungal infection that may appear in two forms: 1, a primary lesion characterized by the formation of a small cutaneous nodule and small nodules along the lymphatics that may heal within several months; and 2, chronic granulomatous lesions characterized by thick crusts, warty growths, and unusual vascularity and infection in the middle or upper lobes of the lung.	Blastomycosis, North American,Gilchrist Disease,Gilchrist's Disease,Blastomycoses,Gilchrists Disease,North American Blastomycosis
D003047	Coccidioidomycosis	Infection with a fungus of the genus COCCIDIOIDES, endemic to the SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES. It is sometimes called valley fever but should not be confused with RIFT VALLEY FEVER. Infection is caused by inhalation of airborne, fungal particles known as arthroconidia, a form of FUNGAL SPORES. A primary form is an acute, benign, self-limited respiratory infection. A secondary form is a virulent, severe, chronic, progressive granulomatous disease with systemic involvement. It can be detected by use of COCCIDIOIDIN.	Coccidioides Infection,Coccidioides posadasii Infection,Coccidioidomycosis Infection,Coccidioides immitis Infection,San Joaquin Valley Fever,Valley Fever,Coccidioides Infections,Coccidioides immitis Infections,Coccidioides posadasii Infections,Coccidioidomycoses,Coccidioidomycosis Infections,Infection, Coccidioides,Infection, Coccidioides immitis,Infection, Coccidioides posadasii,Infection, Coccidioidomycosis,Valley Fevers
D006660	Histoplasmosis	Infection resulting from exposure to the fungus HISTOPLASMA.	African Histoplasmosis,Disseminated Histoplasmosis,Histoplasma duboisii Infection,Pulmonary Histoplasmosis,Histoplasma Infection,Histoplasma capsulatum Infection,Histoplasma Infections,Histoplasma capsulatum Infections,Histoplasma duboisii Infections,Histoplasmosis, African,Histoplasmosis, Disseminated,Histoplasmosis, Pulmonary,Infection, Histoplasma,Infection, Histoplasma capsulatum,Infection, Histoplasma duboisii
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D017714	Community-Acquired Infections	Any infection acquired in the community, that is, contrasted with those acquired in a health care facility (CROSS INFECTION). An infection would be classified as community-acquired if the patient had not recently been in a health care facility or been in contact with someone who had been recently in a health care facility.	Community Acquired Infection,Community-Acquired Infection,Infections, Community-Acquired,Acquired Infection, Community,Acquired Infections, Community,Community Acquired Infections,Infection, Community Acquired,Infection, Community-Acquired,Infections, Community Acquired
D019353	Endemic Diseases	The constant presence of diseases or infectious agents within a given geographic area or population group. It may also refer to the usual prevalence of a given disease with such area or group. It includes holoendemic and hyperendemic diseases. A holoendemic disease is one for which a high prevalent level of infection begins early in life and affects most of the child population, leading to a state of equilibrium such that the adult population shows evidence of the disease much less commonly than do children (malaria in many communities is a holoendemic disease). A hyperendemic disease is one that is constantly present at a high incidence and/or prevalence rate and affects all groups equally. (Last, A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 3d ed, p53, 78, 80)	Disease, Endemic,Diseases, Endemic,Endemic Disease