Paracoccidioidomycosis | |
---|---|
Other names | South American blastomycosis,[1] Brazilian blastomycosis,[2] Lutz-Splendore-de Almeida disease,[3] |
Paracoccidioides histopathology | |
Specialty | Infectious disease |
Symptoms | Fever, sepsis, weight loss, large glands, large liver and spleen,[4] mouth ulcers, skin lesions.[5] |
Types | Mucocutaneous, lymphatic, multi-organ[1] |
Causes | Paracoccidioides brasiliensis[4] |
Diagnostic method | Sampling of blood, sputum, or skin[4] |
Differential diagnosis | Tuberculosis, leukaemia, lymphoma[4] |
Treatment | Antifungal medication[6] |
Medication | Itraconazole, amphotericin B,[6] trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole[7] |
Deaths | 200 deaths per year in Brazil[1] |
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), also known as South American blastomycosis, is a fungal infection that can occur as a mouth and skin type, lymphangitic type, multi-organ involvement type (particularly lungs), or mixed type.[1][6] If there are mouth ulcers or skin lesions, the disease is likely to be widespread.[1] There may be no symptoms, or it may present with fever, sepsis, weight loss, large glands, or a large liver and spleen.[4][7]
The cause is fungi in the genus Paracoccidioides, including Paracoccidioides brasiliensis and Paracoccidioides lutzii,[8] acquired by breathing in fungal spores.[6]
Diagnosis is by sampling of blood, sputum, or skin.[4] The disease can appear similar to tuberculosis, leukaemia, and lymphoma[4] Treatment is with antifungals; itraconazole.[1][7] For severe disease, treatment is with amphotericin B followed by itraconazole, or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole as an alternative.[1][7]
It is endemic to Central and South America,[9] and is considered a type of neglected tropical disease.[8] In Brazil, the disease causes around 200 deaths per year.[1]
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