Blastomyces dermatitidis

Blastomycosis is a fungal infection caused by the organism Blastomyces dermatitidis. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) is a detailed description of known diseases and injuries. ... The following codes are used with International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) is a detailed description of known diseases and injuries. ... The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1197x874, 103 KB) Summary Photo of a Blastomyces dermatitidis organism taken through a microscope at 100x magnification. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1197x874, 103 KB) Summary Photo of a Blastomyces dermatitidis organism taken through a microscope at 100x magnification. ...

History

It was first described by Thomas Casper Gilchrist [1] in 1894 and sometimes goes by the eponym Gilchrist's disease [2]. It is also sometimes referred to as Chicago Disease. 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Epidemiology

In the U.S.: United States is the current Good Article Collaboration of the week! Please help to improve this article to the highest of standards. ...

• Most cases of blastomycosis occur in the United States. It is endemic in the Mississippi river and Ohio river basins and around the Great Lakes. The annual incidence is less than 1 case per 100,000 people in Mississippi,Louisiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Wisconsin.

In Canada: The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... The Ohio River is the largest tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes on or near the United States-Canadian border. ...

• Most cases of blastomycosis in Canada occur in northwestern Ontario, in particular, around the Kenora area. The moist, acidic soil in the surrounding woodland harbours the fungus.

Internationally: Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Official languages English Flower White Trillium Tree Eastern White Pine Bird Common Loon Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Parliamentary representation  - House seats  - Senate seats 106 24 Area Total... Kenora re-directs here. ...

• Blastomycosis is distributed throughout the world. Cases are sometimes reported from Africa.

A world map showing the continent of Africa. ...

Pathophysiology

Infection occurs by inhalation of the fungus from its natural soil habitat. Once inhaled in the lungs, they multiply and may disseminate through the blood and lymphatics to other organs, including the skin, bone, genitourinary tract, and brain. The incubation period is 30 to 100 days, although infection can be asymptomatic.

Features

Blastomycosis of skin

Blastomycosis can present in one of the following ways: Image File history File links Blastomycosis_of_skin. ... Image File history File links Blastomycosis_of_skin. ...

• a flulike illness with fever, chills, myalgia, headache, and a nonproductive cough which resolves within days.
• an acute illness resembling bacterial pneumonia, with symptoms of high fever, chills, a productive cough, and pleuritic chest pain.
• a chronic illness that mimics tuberculosis or lung cancer, with symptoms of low-grade fever, a productive cough, night sweats, and weight loss.
• a fast, progressive, and severe disease that manifests as ARDS, with fever, shortness of breath, tachypnea, hypoxemia, and diffuse pulmonary infiltrates.
• skin lesions, usually asymptomatic, appear as ulcerated lesions with small pustules at the margins
• bone lytic lesions can cause bone or joint pain.
• prostatitis may be asymptomatic or may cause pain on urinating.
• laryngeal involvement causes hoarseness.

It has been suggested that CURB-65 be merged into this article or section. ... ARDS has multiple meanings: Ards is a district in Northern Ireland ARDS is the abbreviation of Acute respiratory distress syndrome, formerly known as adult respiratory distress syndrome This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Diagnosis

Once suspected, the diagnosis of blastomycosis can usually be confirmed by demonstration of the characteristic broad based budding organisms in sputum or tissues by KOH prep, cytology, or histology. Tissue biopsy of skin or other organs may be required in order to diagnose extra-pulmonary disease. Commercially available urine antigen testing appears to be quite sensitive in suggesting the diagnosis in cases where the organism is not readily detected. While culture of the organism remains the definitive diagnostic standard, its slow growing nature can lead to delays in treatment of up to several weeks.

Treatment

Itraconazole given orally is the treatment of choice for most forms of the disease. Cure rates are high, and the treatment over a period of months is usually well tolerated. Amphotericin B is considerably more toxic, and is usually reserved for critically ill patients and those with central nervous system disease. Itraconazole (marketed as Sporanox® by Janssen Pharmaceutica) is an antifungal agent that is prescribed to patients with fungal infections. ... Amphotericin B (Fungilin®, Fungizone®, Abelcet®, AmBisome®, Fungisome®, Amphocil®, Amphotec®) is a polyene antimycotic drug, used intravenously in systemic fungal infections. ...

Prognosis

Mortality rate in treated cases

• 0-2% in treated cases among immunocompetent patients
• 29% in immunocompromised patients
• 40% in the subgroup of patients with AIDS
• 68% in patients presenting as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), also known as respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) or adult respiratory distress syndrome (in contrast with IRDS) is a serious reaction to various forms of injuries to the lung. ... ARDS has multiple meanings: Ards is a district in Northern Ireland ARDS is the abbreviation of Acute respiratory distress syndrome, formerly known as adult respiratory distress syndrome This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

External resources

• NIH Encyclopedia Blastomycosis
• Blastomycosis.ca