Case Report: Disseminated Paracoccidioidomycosis and Strongyloides Hyperinfection in a Patient with Human T-Lymphotropic Virus Type 1/2 Infection

Co-occurrence of paracoccidioidomycosis and strongyloidiasis in immunosuppressed patients, particularly those infected with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1/2, is infrequent. We describe the case of a Peruvian farmer from the central jungle with human T-lymphotropic virus type 1/2 infection, with 2 months of illness characterized by respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms associated with fever, weight loss, and enlarged lymph nodes. Strongyloides stercoralis and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were isolated in sputum and bronchoalveolar lavage samples, respectively. The clinical evolution was favorable after the patient received ivermectin and amphotericin B. We hypothesize that autoinfestation by S. stercoralis in human T-lymphotropic virus type 1/2-infected patients may contribute to the disseminated presentation of Paracoccidioides spp. Understanding epidemiological context is crucial for suspecting opportunistic regional infections, particularly those that may coexist in immunosuppressed patients.

Can COVID-19 impact the natural history of paracoccidioidomycosis? Insights from an atypical chronic form of the mycosis

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic fungal infection caused by Paracoccidioides spp. It can occur as an acute/subacute form (A/SAF), a chronic form (CF) and rarely as a mixed form combining the features of the two aforementioned forms in an immunocompromised patient. Here, we report a 56-year-old male patient with CF-PCM who presented with atypical manifestations, including the development of an initial esophageal ulcer, followed by central nervous system (CNS) lesions and cervical and abdominal lymphatic involvement concomitant with severe SARS-CoV-2 infection. He was HIV-negative and had no other signs of previous immunodeficiency. Biopsy of the ulcer confirmed its mycotic etiology. He was hospitalized for treatment of COVID-19 and required supplemental oxygen in the intensive unit. The patient recovered without the need for invasive ventilatory support. Investigation of the extent of disease during hospitalization revealed severe lymphatic involvement typical of A/SAF, although the patient`s long history of high-risk exposure to PCM, and lung involvement typical of the CF. Esophageal involvement is rare in non-immunosuppressed PCM patients. CNS involvement is also rare. We suggest that the immunological imbalance caused by the severe COVID-19 infection may have contributed to the patient developing atypical severe CF, which resembles the PCM mixed form of immunosuppressed patients. Severe COVID-19 infection is known to impair the cell-mediated immune response, including the antiviral response, through T-lymphopenia, decreased NK cell counts and T-cell exhaustion. We hypothesize that these alterations would also impair antifungal defenses. Our case highlights the potential influence of COVID-19 on the course of PCM. Fortunately, the patient was timely treated for both diseases, evolving favorably.

[Oral paracoccidiodomycosis in an immunocompetent woman: a case report and literature review]

Paracoccidioidomycosis is a progressive, chronic, systemic disease which is the second most common form of mycosis in South America, affecting approximately 10million people in this region. It occurs most commonly in adult male farmers and mainly affects the lungs. Oral paracoccidioidomycosis is the second most frequent chronic presentation. We report the case of an immunocompetent female patient whose oral mucosae was infected with paracoccidium and discuss oral paracoccidium.

[Systemic paracoccidioidomycosis with compromise of the cecal appendix in a child: case report]

Paracoccidioidomycosis, the most prevalent systemic mycosis in Latin America. In children the most common clinical presentation is the juvenile or acute/subacute form, which mainly involves the lymph nodes and in a lesser proportion the gastrointestinal organs. We present the case of a 10-year-old patient, without comorbidities, who presented acute right iliac fossa pain; in addition to a history of 1 month of evolution of diarrhea, fever, weight loss, and hypereosinophilia. Was diagnosed of acute appendicitis due to systemic paracoccidioidomycosis, through histopathology of the cecal appendix and mesenteric lymph nodes. Although systemic paracoccidioidomycosis with involvement of the cecal appendix is ​​rare, it should be considered as part of the differential diagnoses in children and young adults with generalized lymphadenomegaly from endemic areas.

Functional and phenotypic evaluation of eosinophils from patients with the acute form of paracoccidioidomycosis

BACKGROUND

Eosinophilia is a typical finding of the acute/juvenile form of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. This clinical form is characterized by depressed cellular immune response and production of Th2 cytokines. Moreover, it has been shown that the increased number of eosinophils in peripheral blood of patients returns to normal values after antifungal treatment. However, the role of eosinophils in PCM has never been evaluated. This study aimed to assess the phenotypic and functional characteristics of eosinophils in PCM.

METHODS/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In 15 patients with the acute form of the disease, we detected expression of MBP, CCL5 (RANTES) and CCL11 (eotaxin) in biopsies of lymph nodes and liver. In addition, there were higher levels of chemokines and granule proteins in the peripheral blood of patients compared to controls. Isolation of eosinophils from blood revealed a higher frequency of CD69+ and TLR2+ eosinophils in patients compared to controls, and a lower population of CD80+ cells. We also evaluated the fungicidal capacity of eosinophils in vitro. Our results revealed that eosinophils from PCM patients and controls exhibit similar ability to kill P. brasiliensis yeast cells, although eosinophils of patients were less responsive to IL-5 stimulation than controls.

CONCLUSION/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

In conclusion, we suggest that eosinophils might play a role in the host response to fungi and in the pathophysiology of PCM by inducing an intense and systemic inflammatory response in the initial phase of the infection.

Chronic paracoccidioidmycosis in a woman with Crohn Disease

We report a rare case of chronic paracoccidioidomycosis(PCM) in a woman with Crohn disease in the setting of treatment with azathioprine and mesalazine. Serum tests for antigens to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Histoplasma capsulatum, and Aspergillus fumigatus were negative. An incisional biopsy of an oral lesion with periodic acid-schiff and Grocott-methenamine silver stains revealed chronic granulomatous inflammation with multinucleated giant cells with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis within the cytoplasm, confirming the diagnosis of PCM.

Pleural effusion an unusual feature of paracoccidioidomycosis: report of two new cases with a systematic review of the literature

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an endemic disease restricted geographically to Latin America. Brazil accounts for about 80 % of the reported cases, and lungs are most frequently affected. A suggestive radiograph of PCM may only be seen late in the course of the disease. At the beginning, it mimics tuberculosis. On the other hand, pleural effusion on rare occasions has been reported in PCM. For this reason, we report two cases with such uncommon manifestation. Our first patient presented pleural effusion probably caused by PCM (a previously unreported cause of lung mass accompanied by effusion); the second with proved pleural effusion due to PCM. A systematic review of the literature was done.

Synchronous oral paracoccidioidomycosis and esophageal carcinoma

Paracoccidioidomycosis is the most common deep mycosis in South America and is caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (P. brasiliensis), a thermally dimorphic fungus. Infections usually occur by inhalation of conidia, which more often cause respiratory, mucocutaneous, and lymph nodal changes. Chronic features of this mycosis can mimic diverse infections and malignancies and constitute diagnosis challenges. Squamous cell carcinoma deserves special attention in this setting. We describe the case of a patient with synchronous diagnosis of oral paracoccidioidomycosis and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. Concomitance of these conditions may be a casual event, but a not fully understood causal relationship can be involved.

[Paracoccidioidomicosis and multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (TBC-MDR) in patient coinfected with HIV and hepatitis C]

A case of an adult male patient diagnosed with HIV and Hepatitis C co infection is presented. He had granu-lomatuos hepatitis and blood smear positive to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis concomitant to the detection of MDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis in sputum further complicated with reactivation of cytomegalovirus (possible pancreatitis and retinitis). Difficulties in diagnostic and therapeutic approach in a patient with multiple infections are reviewed.

Oral exfoliative cytology for the diagnosis of paracoccidoidomycosis in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus: a case report

BACKGROUND

Paracoccidioidomycosis is not the most common fungal disease in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), except for endemic regions in Latin America countries.

CASE

A 33-year-old man with HIV presented with mulberry-like lesions on the palate. The diagnosis was made by exfoliative cytology and Papanicolaou staining. Microscopic analysis revealed fungal structures with birefringent walls and exosporulation conferring an airplane radial motor appearance, or even bowel-like or goblet-like forms compatible with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

CONCLUSION

This process spares the immunosuppressed patient from undergoing invasive biopsy procedures.

Protein-losing enteropathy in paracoccidioidomycosis identified by scintigraphy: report of three cases

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) or South American Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by a dimorphic fungus, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. It represents the most important systemic mycosis in South America and with higher prevalence among male inhabitants of the rural area. PCM usually affects the lungs, and rarely the intestines. The authors report three cases of PCM, treated at the University Hospital of Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul whose scintigraphy with technetium-99 labeled human albumin revead intestinal protein loss.

Paracoccidioidomycosis in patients infected with and not infected with human immunodeficiency virus: a case-control study

Epidemiologic and clinical data for 53 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis and co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (cases) were compared with those for 106 patients with endemic paracoccidioidomycosis (controls). The prevalence of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis co-infection was estimated in 1.4% in cases of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Patients co-infected with HIV were younger, less involved in agricultural occupations; 83.7% had CD4+ cell count < 200 cells/microL. Paracoccidioidomycosis in co-infected patients usually showed a rapid progression, with more fever, frequent involvement of the lungs, and multiple extrapulmonary lesions. The response to antifungal therapy and deaths caused by paracoccidioidomycosis were similar in the two patient groups, but late relapses were more common in co-infected cases. Paracoccidioidomycosis in HIV-infected patients shows epidemiologic and clinical characteristics differing from those of the endemic disease and should be considered an AIDS-defining opportunistic infection in Latin America.

Gingival Involvement in Oral Paracoccidioidomycosis

BACKGROUND

Paracoccidioidomycosis, a deep mycosis endemic in parts of Latin America, often presents with oral lesions involving the gingiva. Nevertheless, the periodontal literature is devoid of references to oral paracoccidioidomycosis. The purpose of this study was to characterize the gingival involvement in oral paracoccidioidomycosis and to contrast clinical and histopathologic diagnosis of the disease. Differential diagnosis and management of oral paracoccidioidomycosis were reviewed.

METHODS

From January 1995 to October 2006, the files of the Oral Pathology Laboratory, School of Dentistry, Alfenas Federal University, were reviewed to identify cases referred because of a clinical diagnosis of oral paracoccidioidomycosis. Data collected included patient demographics (age, gender, race, and occupation), clinical information (oral lesion location), and histopathologic diagnosis.

RESULTS

Forty-six cases were identified, and 34 were histopathologically confirmed as paracoccidioidomycosis. Of the remaining 12 cases, one-half were diagnosed as either carcinoma or dysplastic leukoplakia. Of the 34 confirmed paracoccidioidomycosis cases, 45% presented with multiple site involvement, whereas the gingiva/alveolar process was the most prevalent site overall (52%). The gingiva/alveolar process was the most prevalent site in both multiple and single site cases. The majority of patients were men (88%), white (75%), and in their fourth decade of life (47%). Statistical analysis revealed that patients with gingival/alveolar process involvement were demographically indistinguishable from those without.

CONCLUSIONS

Oral paracoccidioidomycosis has a strong predilection for the gingiva, whereas patients with gingival lesions do not differ from patients lacking such involvement. Early diagnosis of gingival/oral lesions may prevent life-threatening complications of this mycosis.

Neuroparacoccidioidomycosis: analysis of 13 cases observed in an endemic area in Brazil

The epidemiological, clinical and laboratory features of 13 cases of neuroparacoccidioidomycosis (NPCM) were analysed. All patients were men, with a mean age of 41.6 years. The lungs were involved in 11 cases (84.6%) and only two cases had mycosis limited to the central nervous system. Co-morbidity was observed in four patients (malignant neoplasm in three and diabetes mellitus in one). The most frequent neurological manifestations were paresis (eight cases), headache (five cases) and gait disturbance (four cases). Neuroimaging diagnosis showed a predominance of multiple round lesions with ring enhancement following contrast medium injection. Lesions were seen in the brain hemispheres (nine cases), thalamus (nine cases), cerebellum (four cases), brainstem (four cases) and spinal cord (four cases). Most cases responded well to therapy. Lesions with enhancement following contrast medium injection persisted in four patients for a period of 6 months to 8 years. These findings emphasize the importance of considering NPCM in the differential diagnosis of brain and spinal cord lesions in endemic areas of paracoccidioidomycosis.

Dysphonia and laryngeal sequelae in paracoccidioidomycosis patients: a morphological and phoniatric study

The larynx is the third most commonly involved organ in paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM). While a few studies have evaluated laryngeal sequelae, there have not been any investigations of voice abnormalities in PCM patients. To evaluate persistent dysphonia and laryngeal lesions, we studied 15 normal subjects and 30 post-treatment PCM patients, i.e., 15 with only pulmonary and 15 with both laryngeal and pulmonary involvement. Perceptual and acoustic voice analysis were performed with all patients, while endoscopic studies were also conducted with the 15 laryngeal patients. Voice analysis showed instability by perceptual analysis (P<0.01) in both groups, but more severe dysphonia was noted in the laryngeal group (P<0.01). The dysponia, seen in 66.7% of these patients (dysphonia index < 7.0), was characterized by roughness and breathness. The Dr. Speech (Tiger Electronics) analysis program did not accept five voices from the laryngeal group due to the severe dysphonia. Jitter was elevated in five laryngeal lesion patients. Endoscopy showed that 80% of patients with laryngeal lesion had two or more laryngeal structures involved. Vocal fold alterations were seen in all laryngeal lesion patients, which included involvement of the arythenoids, epiglottis, and vestibular folds. This first functional study of laryngeal sequelae in PCM revealed frequent and severe dysphonia that may have important social consequences for patients.

Simultaneous chronic pulmonary paracoccidiodomycosis and disseminated cryptococcosis in a non-HIV patient

An unusual case of chronic pulmonary paracoccidiodomycosis and disseminated cryptococcosis in a non-HIV infected patient is reported in a 72-year-old previously healthy man. A chest radiograph disclosed a bilateral diffused interstitial infiltrate involving middle and lower lung fields. Specimen samples taken from the tracheal tube revealed yeast-like organisms suggestive of Cryptococcus neoformans and Paracoccidiodes brasiliensis. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid culture was positive for C. neoformans and the immunodiffusion test against paracoccidiodin revealed a precipitation band. The patient died 24 days after the admission.

Infiltrative myelopathy by paracoccidioidomycosis. A review and report of nine cases with emphasis on bone marrow morphology

AIMS

To report nine additional well-defined cases with infiltrative myelopathy by paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), to describe the specific lesions and infection-related stromal abnormalities, to review the literature on this type of involvement and to introduce a new cause of granulomatous lesions of bone marrow.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Different bone marrow specimens were studied (aspirated smears, aspirated clots, biopsy imprints and biopsies) from nine patients with acute or subacute forms of PCM known to have PCM infiltrative myelopathy.

CONCLUSIONS

The biopsy specimens were the best for demonstrating bone marrow involvement by PCM. The lesions varied from compact and focal granulomas with few fungal cells to numerous disseminated fungal cells within a loose granulomatous inflammatory reaction, with a continuum between these extremes suggesting a spectrum of immune response to the fungi. Other findings such as bone marrow fibrosis, parenchymal coagulative necrosis and bone necrosis were also observed in the affected areas.

Paracoccidioidomycosis in patients with human immunodeficiency virus: review of 12 cases observed in an endemic region in Brazil

OBJECTIVE

To study the clinical characteristics of 12 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

METHODS

The clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and outcome of PCM in 12 patients infected with HIV attended at a University Hospital of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, were evaluated.

RESULTS

All patients were men, mean age 36.1 years old, and 11 had a diagnosis other than PCM as the aids-defining illness. Lymph nodes were the organs most often involved (10 patients, 83.3%), followed by lung involvement, usually with an interstitial pattern (seven patients, 58.3%), papule-nodular skin lesions with central ulceration in six (50%) and ulcerated lesions of oral mucous membrane in five (41.6%) patients. Pleural involvement occurred in one patient who presented large pleural effusion beside a pathologic rib fracture caused by P. brasiliensis. Seven patients showed involvement in more than one extrapulmonary organ. In eight (66.6%) cases the diagnosis was established by direct microscopy of clinical specimens. All patients used trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and seven patients were also treated with amphotericin B. Eight patients died with progressive PCM manifestations.

CONCLUSION

Our review demonstrates that PCM, an endemic systemic mycosis in Brazil, when associated with AIDS, behaves clinically as an opportunistic disease.

Septicemia caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis (Lutz, 1908) as the cause of death of an AIDS patient from Santos, São Paulo State, Brazil--a nonendemic area

The first case of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis in Santos (Brazil) leading to septicemia and death of an HIV-positive patient is reported here. The patient was a 34-year-old female that presented essential fever and was only diagnosed after death by positive blood culture. The authors underscore the atypical nature of the case, since the patient was a female at fertile age who was born and had always lived in Santos, which is a nonendemic area for this infection.

Major histocompatibility complex and central nervous system involvement by paracoccidioidomycosis

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a chronic granulomatous infectious disease, whose etiologic agent is the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The central nervous system (CNS) involvement with paracoccidioidomycosis (NPCM) occurs more frequently than has been admitted in the past. There are some major histocompatibility complex antigen association studies with systemic paracoccidioidomycosis. Some indicate a positive association with HLA antigens, but there is no study with the involvement of the CNS. To investigate why not all cases of systemic PCM show the involvement of the CNS and whether genetic factors are involved, we studied 6 patients with NPCM, from the neuroinfection outpatient clinic. The patients were typed for class I and class II antigens by a microlymphocytoxity standard test. The HLA antigen frequencies found in this study in patients with NPCM were not different from the alleles frequencies observed in the Paraná population.

[Hypercalcemia and multiple osteolytic lesions in a child with disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis and pulmonary tuberculosis]

OBJECTIVE

To describe the case of a child with paracoccidioidomycosis who presented hypercalcemia with multiple osteolytic lesions.

DESCRIPTION

A 6-year-old boy was admitted with a one-month history of fever and hepatosplenomegaly. On admission, he looked sick, pale, and had disseminated lymphadenopathy and hepatosplenomegaly. The laboratory findings included anemia (hemoglobin = 6.8 g/dl), eosinophilia (1,222/mm3), thrombocytopenia (102,000/mm3), and hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin = 2.2 g/dl). Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was identified in bone marrow examination. In the second week after admission, the patient presented joint pain, poor activity and difficulty in walking. He presented hypercalcemia (maximum value = 14.9 mg%) and reduction in renal function, which lasted for two weeks. On the 42nd day after admission, his chest X-ray showed lytic lesions in clavicle, scapula, ribs, and humerus, with bilateral slipped capital humeral epiphysis. The patient presented nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis, reduction in creatinine clearance and evidence of tubular lesions. At the end of the second month after admission, Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated in gastric washing. The child received treatment for paracoccidioidomycosis and tuberculosis and has not had any sequelae for 3 years.

COMMENTS

The development of symptomatic hypercalcemia leading to renal lesion, associated with multiple osteolytic lesions, had never been described in paracoccidioidomycosis. Although pulmonary tuberculosis was diagnosed and could be related to hypercalcemia, the sudden onset of hypercalcemia and its normalization without specific treatment for tuberculosis suggests that bone lysis was the most important factor in the genesis of hypercalcemia.

[Clinical-epidemiologic profile of paracoccidioidomycosis at the Stomatology Department of São Lucas Hospital, Pontificia Universidade Católica of Rio Grande do Sul]

The aim of the article was to describe clinical and epidemiological features of 61 oral paracoccidioidomycosis cases from the Stomatology Department of São Lucas Hospital, analyzed from July 1976 to June 2004. The State of Rio Grande do Sul is an endemic region due to ecoepidemiologic conditions, that are favorable for the development of the yeast. Men are the most affected gender, with 58 (95%) affected compared to 3 (5%) women. Ii is most prevalent (70.5%) between 40 and 59 years of age. Agricultural labor was the most common occupation with 27/61 (44.3%) patients. Tobacco smoking was prevalent in 52 (85.3%) of the sample, and alcoholism was a frequent finding. All the patients showed stomatologic manifestations, with ulcers and mulberry-like stomatitis the most prevalent, these oral lesions were also observed in many anatomical sites. Alterations were present in 32 (65.3%) of the pulmonary radiographs.

Chronic paracoccidioidomycosis in a female patient in Austria

Presented here is a case of chronic paracoccidioidomycosis that occurred in a Cuban female living in Austria and was first misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. The clinical picture was one of progressive pulmonary insufficiency with fever, weight loss and productive cough. Since antituberculous therapy was started but did not achieve a long-term clinical response, an intensive diagnostic work-up was performed. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was then diagnosed by histopathology, serology, microbiology and molecular identification. Antifungal therapy was commenced immediately with amphotericin B (1 mg/kg/day) for 10 days, followed by voriconazole (200 mg/day po) for at least 3 months, and the lesions disappeared almost completely. This report presents the first published case of imported paracoccidioidomycosis in a female patient in Austria.

Paracoccidioidomycosis in a woman with idiopathic hirsutism

Paracoccidioidomycosis, especially the chronic pulmonary form of the disease, is not commonly described in females. Data from in vitro and vivo studies support the hypothesis that estrogens might influence the pathogenesis of paracoccidioidomycosis in humans by inhibition of transition of conidia or mycelia to yeast form of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The authors describe a chronic progressive pulmonary form of paracoccidioidomycosis in a woman with idiopathic hirsutism. In addition to estrogens, the present report suggests that other hormonal factors might play an important role in the pathogenesis of paracoccidioidomycosis, including the increased production of 5alpha-dehydrotestosterone frequently described in individuals with idiopathic hirsutism.

Eyelid involvement in paracoccidioidomycosis

PURPOSE

To describe a series of patients with eyelid lesions caused by paracoccidioidomycosis and to estimate the prevalence of eyelid involvement in this disease

METHODS

The medical records of 439 patients with paracoccidioidomycosis admitted to our hospital from 1992 to 2002 were reviewed. Age, sex, and clinical forms of the disease were recorded. All patients with eyelid involvement had a skin biopsy positive for paracoccidioidomycosis and were examined by an ophthalmologist with oculoplastic training.

RESULTS

Of 439 patients with acute, subacute, or chronic paracoccidioidomycosis, 11 (2.5%) had eyelid involvement. Active lesions ranged from erythematous patches of madarosis to frank destructive ulcers indistinguishable from malignancies. Healed lesions were characterized by a high degree of fibrosis. Cicatricial changes induced eyelid malpositions (entropion or ectropion) and fusion of eyelid tissues to the globe. Madarosis was a constant finding in the inactive lesions.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of eyelid involvement in paracoccidioidomycosis is low. Isolated active lesions are usually diagnosed as malignant tumors. Cicatricial changes are characterized by a high degree of fibrosis. If not treated, the mycosis can destroy the eyelid.

Fatal disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis in a two-year-old child

A two year-old female child was admitted at the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in a septic shock associated with a lymphoproliferative syndrome, with history of fever, adynamia and weight loss during the last two months. On admission, the main clinical and laboratory manifestations were: pallor, jaundice, disseminated enlarged lymph nodes, hepatosplenomegaly, crusted warts on face, anemia, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, increased direct and indirect bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, and gammaglutamyl transpeptidase. A parenteral administration of fluids, dobutamine and mechanical ventilation was started, without improvement of the clinical conditions. A direct examination of exsudate collected from cervical lymph node revealed numerous oval-to-around cells with multiple budding, like a "pilot wheel" cell, suggesting Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Even though treatment with intravenous sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprine was soon started, the child died 36 hours after hospital admission. Disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis was confirmed in the autopsy. This is the youngest case of paracoccidioidomycosis in children reported in the literature.

Disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis with peripleuritis in an AIDS patient

Paracoccidioidomycosis is one of the most frequent systemic and endemic mycoses of Latin America caused by a dimorphic fungus. In AIDS patients, paracoccidioidomycosis appears as a severe and disseminated disease with a wide spectrum of clinical findings. The CD4 counts are usually less than 200 cell/mu L. We present a case of disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis with peripleuritis and subcutaneous abscesses on the chest wall as initial manifestation of AIDS. In endemic countries, paracoccidioidomycosis should be included as an opportunistic infection in AIDS.

[Paracoccidiodomycosis, disseminated chronic form--case report]

Case report of paracoccidiodomycosis Chronic Form, adult type, with genital lesions and residual form presented as dysphagia and dysphonia at the same patient. Diagnosis accomplished by direct examination of clinical specimens, in this case cutaneous lesions. After specific treatment there was regression of lesions and symptoms had disappeared.

Paracoccidioidomycosis associated with human immunodeficiency virus infection. Report of 10 cases

We describe here the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 10 HIV-infected patients with paracoccidioidomycosis. All patients were adult males from small towns in Brazil and had a previous history of work or residence in a rural area. The two infections were diagnosed concomitantly in six of the ten patients, and for six of the patients, the mycosis was the first clinical manifestation of HIV infection. Risk factors for HIV infection were injection drug use in some patients and multiple sexual partners in others. Six patients died and autopsy revealed severe disseminated paracoccidioidomycosis in three. Exuberant and severe clinical pictures suggest an alteration in the natural history of this mycosis as a result of HIV immunosuppression. The frequency of paracoccidioidomycosis in the HIV-infected population is not known to differ from that reported for this mycosis in non-HIV patients.

Paracoccidioidomycosis and larynx carcinoma

Report of a case of paracoccidioidomycosis associated with a carcinoma: both located in the larynx in a patient whose therapeutic response to antifungal treatment produced a recovery of physical conditions. This case shows the importance of taking into account the diagnosis of paracoccidioidomycosis in all patients with problems in the larynx, especially those who inhabit or inhabited endemic areas of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis.

Case report: severe juvenile type paracoccidioidomycosis with hepatitis C

We present the case of a 34-year-old man with previous history of hepatitis C and severe juvenile type of paracoccidioidomycosis characterized by involvement of the reticuloendothelial system, eosinophilia, lung compromise (pleural effusion), retinal hemorrhage, and blood culture positive to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The immune evaluation showed four precipitation lines to P. brasiliensis by the double immunodiffusion test. Treatment with amphotericin B and itraconazol resulted in resolution of the disease.

[Adrenal gland insufficiency secondary to paracoccidioidomycosis]

Paracoccidioidomycosis is regularly associated with adrenal insufficiency in 10-15% of symptomatic cases, and in some instances, diagnosis of the mycosis precedes the adrenal manifestation. To establish the frequency of this association, records were reviewed of 207 cases diagnosed with mycosis at the Mycology Service of the Corporación para Investigaciones Biológicas. Six cases (2.9%) were found to have adrenal insufficiency. Patients were all males with a mean age of 67.2 years (range 48-75) and most worked in agriculture. The duration of the symptoms of adrenal damage was 4.1 months (range 2-6). All patients experienced weight loss and malaise; all had abnormal lung X-rays. Major clinical improvement was recorded after initiation of the specific treatments consisting of itraconazole, prednisolone and fluorcortisone. Diminished antibody titers against Paracoccidioides brasiliensis were also recorded after treatment. Prompt treatment re-established adrenal function and effected recovery of normal gland morphology. Consequently, early detection of hypoadrenalism in patients living in the endemic areas is necessary to avoid further adrenal damage and permits a shorter hormonal treatment period in patients afflicted by the mycosis.

A case of imported paracoccidioidomycosis in a German legionnaire

We report on a case of the chronic form of paracoccidioidomycosis with swelling and ulcerations of the mouth in a German legionnaire who also suffered from a chronic bronchitis. The patient had worked for many years in Brazil, an area endemic for the disease. Infection due to Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was diagnosed in Germany, more than 10 years after the patient's return. Diagnosis was established by the presence of yeast cells with multipolar budding in the tissue of the oral lesion. Furthermore, the fungus was grown in a liquid Leishmania culture medium. Identification of the fungus was based on morphology and genetic sequencing. Furthermore, IgG antibodies against a 43-kDa antigen of P. brasiliensis were detected in a western blot. After itraconazole therapy (400 mg day(-1)) for 4 weeks, the lesions had disappeared almost completely, but the therapy was continued for further 5 months to avoid relapse of the infection.

Parinaud'S oculoglandular syndrome associated with paracoccidioidomycosis

The authors report one case of Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome associated with Paracoccidioides brasiliensis infection. No other medical report of this condition was found in the medical literature available at Index Medicus and Medline. The eye involvement has been rather uncommon in paracoccidioidomycosis and this report emphasizes the possibility of this kind of presentation making it also necessary to include paracoccidioidomycosis among the several known causes of Parinaud's oculoglandular syndrome.

Paracoccidioidomycosis: a model for evaluation of the effects of human immunodeficiency virus infection on the natural history of endemic tropical diseases

The interaction of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection with endemic tropical diseases has become a major concern, but its mechanisms are still poorly understood. Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a South America endemic deep mycosis, may provide an interesting model to investigate this interaction, as clinical-epidemiological features of most HIV-PCM-coinfected patients are difficult to classify into the standard acute and chronic forms of PCM. Such patients have presented clinical features indicative of an uncontrolled infection with lymphohematogenous dissemination, similar to the more severe, acute form. However, this infection probably resulted from reactivated latent foci that, in nonimmunocompromised hosts, leads to the less severe chronic form, characterized by mucosal lesions. We propose that a new outcome of the Paracoccidioides brasiliensis-host interaction is induced by concomitant HIV infection. This outcome probably reflects an impaired anti-P. brasiliensis immune response during coinfection that is similar to that seen in the acute form, although the patients have a chronic P. brasiliensis infection.

[Paracoccidioidomycosis of the central nervous system: case report]

The involvement of the central nervous system in paracoccidioidomycosis is more frequent than previously thought. The first reference to the possibility that Paracoccidioides brasiliensis could affect the central nervous system was by Pereira & Jacobs in 1919. Since then, a great number of other studies has showed this form of clinical behavior and, in some of them, the frequency has ranged 27.27%. We report a clinical case of a 34-year-old white Brazilian woman admitted because of bacterial pneumonia. In the sixth day of admission, the patient developed cerebellar symptomatology with nausea, vomiting, dysmetria and gait disturbance. Central nervous system computer tomographic scanning disclosed a hypodense lesion in the right cerebellar hemisphere. The patient was submitted to surgery with total excision of the lesion. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of neuroparacoccidioidomycosis. Coadjuvant treatment with sulfamethoxazole-trimetoprim was introduced. The patient had a good outcome and was discharge 30 days after surgery.