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Paracoccidioidomycosis
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Paracoccidioidomycosis

Contributors: Susan Voci MD, Sumanth Rajagopal MD, William Bonnez MD, Edith Lederman MD, Noah Craft MD, PhD, Susan Burgin MD
Other Resources UpToDate PubMed

Synopsis

Paracoccidioidomycosis, also known as South American blastomycosis, Lutz mycosis, Brazilian blastomycosis, and paracoccidioidal granuloma, is a deep fungal infection caused by the dimorphic fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. It is most commonly found in males living in rural and agricultural areas of Mexico, Central America, and South America, especially Brazil.

The fungus normally is found in soil and is acquired by inhalation. Rarely, it is acquired by direct inoculation into the skin or mucosa from infected plant matter. The disease can manifest in 4 clinical forms: pulmonary, mucocutaneous, lymphatic, and mixed.

Pulmonary infection is the most common and is found in 70%-80% of patients. Disease is localized to the lung in 25% of cases. This is followed by dissemination to the skin and mucosa (around the pharynx, the mouth, and occasionally the anus), lymphatic system (especially cervical nodes), adrenal glands, liver, spleen, central nervous system (brain lesions [abscess, granuloma, nodule, or cyst] or less commonly meningitis), and bones. The clinical course is usually chronic and progressive over months to years, with associated weight loss and chronic cough.

In travelers to endemic areas, the mean time to presentation was 15 years, suggesting a long dormancy before disease presentation.

Codes

ICD10CM:
B41.9 – Paracoccidioidomycosis, unspecified

SNOMEDCT:
59925007 – Paracoccidioidomycosis

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Last Updated:09/06/2017
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Paracoccidioidomycosis
A medical illustration showing key findings of Paracoccidioidomycosis (Adult Form) : Chest pain, Fever, Productive cough, Verrucous scaly plaque, Voice change, Dysphagia, Dyspnea
Clinical image of Paracoccidioidomycosis - imageId=3068034. Click to open in gallery.  caption: 'A close-up of an ulcerated and crusted papule and a similar plaque, both with raised, rolled, pink and violaceous borders.'
A close-up of an ulcerated and crusted papule and a similar plaque, both with raised, rolled, pink and violaceous borders.
Copyright © 2024 VisualDx®. All rights reserved.