Histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. 1996

R W Bradsher
Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock 72205, USA.

Histoplasmosis and blastomycosis are caused by dimorphic fungi, can be epidemic or endemic, and can produce a spectrum of illness, from subclinical infection to progressive disseminated disease. Diagnosis of both is best made by visualization of yeast in tissue or by culture. Itraconazole is the drug of choice for treatment of both histoplasmosis and blastomycosis, except in cases of life-threatening infection, for which amphotericin B is indicated. A heavy inoculum of Histoplasma capsulatum may cause acute pulmonary infection in an otherwise healthy host, resulting in fever, hypoxia, and pulmonary infiltrates. Opportunistic histoplasmosis develops as chronic pulmonary histoplasmosis in those with a structural defect in the lung (emphysema) or as disseminated histoplasmosis in patients with cellular immune deficiency (due to immunosuppressants or AIDS). Blastomyces dermatitidis causes both pulmonary and extrapulmonary disease. Lung involvement may mimic bacterial pneumonia, while chronic presentations mimic lung cancer or tuberculosis. Skin is the most common extrapulmonary site of disease, followed by bone, prostate, and central nervous system.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008172 Lung Diseases, Fungal Pulmonary diseases caused by fungal infections, usually through hematogenous spread. Fungal Lung Diseases,Pulmonary Fungal Infections,Pulmonary Fungal Diseases,Fungal Disease, Pulmonary,Fungal Diseases, Pulmonary,Fungal Infection, Pulmonary,Fungal Infections, Pulmonary,Fungal Lung Disease,Lung Disease, Fungal,Pulmonary Fungal Disease,Pulmonary Fungal Infection
D008297 Male Males
D009894 Opportunistic Infections An infection caused by an organism which becomes pathogenic under certain conditions, e.g., during immunosuppression. Infection, Opportunistic,Infections, Opportunistic,Opportunistic Infection
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
D005260 Female Females
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
D000935 Antifungal Agents Substances that destroy fungi by suppressing their ability to grow or reproduce. They differ from FUNGICIDES, INDUSTRIAL because they defend against fungi present in human or animal tissues. Anti-Fungal Agents,Antifungal Agent,Fungicides, Therapeutic,Antibiotics, Antifungal,Therapeutic Fungicides,Agent, Antifungal,Anti Fungal Agents,Antifungal Antibiotics
D017088 AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections Opportunistic infections found in patients who test positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The most common include PNEUMOCYSTIS PNEUMONIA, Kaposi's sarcoma, cryptosporidiosis, herpes simplex, toxoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and infections with Mycobacterium avium complex, Microsporidium, and Cytomegalovirus. HIV-Related Opportunistic Infections,Opportunistic Infections, AIDS-Related,Opportunistic Infections, HIV-Related,AIDS Related Opportunistic Infections,AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infection,HIV Related Opportunistic Infections,HIV-Related Opportunistic Infection,Infection, HIV-Related Opportunistic,Infections, HIV-Related Opportunistic,Opportunistic Infection, AIDS-Related,Opportunistic Infection, HIV-Related,Opportunistic Infections, AIDS Related,Opportunistic Infections, HIV Related
D017964 Itraconazole A triazole antifungal agent that inhibits cytochrome P-450-dependent enzymes required for ERGOSTEROL synthesis. Orungal,R-51211,Sporanox,R 51211,R51211

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