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Azam F, Hicks WH, Pernik MN, Hoes K, Payne R. Retropharyngeal Blastomycosis Abscess Causing Osteomyelitis, Discitis, Cervical Deformity, and Cervical Epidural Abscess: A Case Report. Cureus 2023; 15:e45570. [PMID: 37868378 PMCID: PMC10586878 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.45570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Blastomycosis infection is caused by the inhalation of the spores of the dimorphic Blastomyces sp.fungus. While more commonly a self-limited infection of the lungs, extrapulmonary manifestations arise from hematogenous or contiguous spread. Disseminated infection most often includes skin lesions and osteomyelitis; however, central nervous system (CNS) involvement is infrequently reported in the literature. Herein, we present a case of a retropharyngeal blastomycosis abscess leading to cervical spine osteonecrosis with retropulsion, deformity, and a spinal epidural abscess, and we discuss the relevant literature. The patient was successfully treated with cervical traction, followed by a combined anterior-posterior cervical approach, including abscess drainage, corpectomies, and instrumented fixation. Postoperatively, the patient completed 12 months of voriconazole and had near resolution of preoperative symptoms. Expediting neurosurgical intervention, such as the utilization of decompression, the clearance of infectious burden, and the correction of alignment, is critical for preventing downstream complications. Retropharyngeal blastomycosis abscesses are rare, and we report one of the rare instances of dissemination to and the degeneration of the cervical spine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faraaz Azam
- Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
| | - William H Hicks
- Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
| | - Mark N Pernik
- Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, USA
| | - Kathryn Hoes
- Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Russell Payne
- Neurological Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, USA
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Pullen MF, Alpern JD, Bahr NC. Blastomycosis-Some Progress but Still Much to Learn. J Fungi (Basel) 2022; 8:jof8080824. [PMID: 36012812 PMCID: PMC9410313 DOI: 10.3390/jof8080824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastomycosis, caused by Blastomyces spp., is an endemic mycosis capable of causing significant disease throughout the body. Higher rates of infection are seen in the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys, the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada, much of Africa, and, to a lesser extent, in India and the Middle East. Limited reporting inhibits our true understanding of the geographic distribution of blastomycosis. An estimated 50% of those infected remain asymptomatic. Of those who present with symptomatic disease, pulmonary involvement is most common, while the most common extrapulmonary sites are the skin, bones, genitourinary system, and central nervous system. Itraconazole is the standard therapy for mild-moderate disease. Data for other azoles are limited. Amphotericin is used for severe disease, and corticosteroids are occasionally used in severe disease, but evidence for this practice is limited. Despite increasing incidence and geographic reach in recent years, there are still significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of blastomycosis. Here, we provide an updated review of the epidemiology, clinical presentations, and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for this infection. We also discuss areas needing further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew F. Pullen
- Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Jonathan D. Alpern
- Division of Infectious Diseases, HealthPartners, Bloomington, MN 55425, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nathan C. Bahr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Infectious meningitis can be caused by viral, bacterial or fungal pathogens. Despite widely available treatments, many types of infectious meningitis are still associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Delay in diagnosis contributes to poor outcomes. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures have been used traditionally but are time intensive and sensitivity is decreased by empiric treatment prior to culture. More rapid techniques such as the cryptococcal lateral flow assay (IMMY), GeneXpert MTB/Rif Ultra (Cepheid) and FilmArray multiplex-PCR (Biofire) are three examples that have drastically changed meningitis diagnostics. This review will discuss a holistic approach to diagnosing bacterial, mycobacterial, viral and fungal meningitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Poplin
- Department of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
| | - David R Boulware
- Division of Infectious Diseases & International Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Nathan C Bahr
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Kansas, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA
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Ryan D, Lippert WC, Fenwick AJ, Bhatt M, Jones CR. Central Nervous System Blastomycosis With Multiple Brain Abscesses Presenting as Right Upper Extremity Weakness. Neurohospitalist 2019; 9:230-234. [PMID: 31534614 DOI: 10.1177/1941874419829276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastomycosis is a mycotic infection that typically affects the lung, but that can have dermatologic, orthopedic, genitourinary, and central nervous system manifestations. Blastomyces dermatitidis is a true human pathogen, which can produce disease in immunocompetent hosts. Risk factors for infection include residence in or travel to endemic areas and outdoor occupation, particularly those activities near open bodies of water and that disrupt soil. Immunosuppressed patients are also at increased risk for severe and disseminated disease. We present a case of a 79-year-old male who presented with a 2-week history of progressive right upper extremity weakness and severe odontogenic disease. He was found to have multiple brain abscesses with positive cultures from a cerebral abscess incision and drainage for B dermatitidis. He underwent an incision and drainage of the largest cerebral abscess and was treated with intravenous liposomal amphotericin B, which he tolerated poorly. He was subsequently switched to voriconazole, which was well tolerated, and his neurological deficits improved throughout his hospitalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan Ryan
- University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - William C Lippert
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Hospital Medicine, Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, NC, USA
| | - Alexander J Fenwick
- Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mahesh Bhatt
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Charles R Jones
- Division of Hospital Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, KY, USA
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Kauffman CA. Central Nervous System Infection with Other Endemic Mycoses: Rare Manifestation of Blastomycosis, Paracoccidioidomycosis, Talaromycosis, and Sporotrichosis. J Fungi (Basel) 2019; 5:jof5030064. [PMID: 31323746 PMCID: PMC6787720 DOI: 10.3390/jof5030064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system (CNS) is not a major organ involved with infections caused by the endemic mycoses, with the possible exception of meningitis caused by Coccidioides species. When CNS infection does occur, the manifestations vary among the different endemic mycoses; mass-like lesions or diffuse meningeal involvement can occur, and isolated chronic meningitis, as well as widely disseminated acute infection that includes the CNS, are described. This review includes CNS infection caused by Blastomyces dermatitidis, Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, Talaromyces marneffei, and the Sporothrix species complex. The latter is not geographically restricted, in contrast to the classic endemic mycoses, but it is similar in that it is a dimorphic fungus. CNS infection with B. dermatitidis can present as isolated chronic meningitis or a space-occupying lesion usually in immunocompetent hosts, or as one manifestation of widespread disseminated infection in patients who are immunosuppressed. P. brasiliensis more frequently causes mass-like intracerebral lesions than meningitis, and most often CNS disease is part of disseminated infection found primarily in older patients with the chronic form of paracoccidioidomycosis. T. marneffei is the least likely of the endemic mycoses to cause CNS infection. Almost all reported cases have been in patients with advanced HIV infection and almost all have had widespread disseminated infection. Sporotrichosis is known to cause isolated chronic meningitis, primarily in immunocompetent individuals who do not have Sporothrix involvement of other organs. In contrast, CNS infection in patients with advanced HIV infection occurs as part of widespread disseminated infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Kauffman
- Infectious Diseases Section, Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA.
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Walkty A, Keynan Y, Karlowsky J, Dhaliwal P, Embil J. Central nervous system blastomycosis diagnosed using the MVista® Blastomyces quantitative antigen enzyme immunoassay test on cerebrospinal fluid: A case report and review of the literature. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2017; 90:102-104. [PMID: 29195765 DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/24/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Blastomyces dermatitidis is a thermally dimorphic fungus that is capable of causing pulmonary and extra-pulmonary disease, including infections of the central nervous system (CNS). Diagnosis of CNS blastomycosis with non-invasive testing can be difficult, and a surgical biopsy may ultimately be required for microbiological and/or histopathological confirmation. A case of B. dermatitidis meningitis is presented where the diagnosis was made by testing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using the MVista® Blastomyces Quantitative Antigen Enzyme Immunoassay test. The utility of performing this test on CSF for diagnosis of CNS mass lesions/abscesses caused by B. dermatitidis in the absence of associated meningitis remains unclear. Cross reaction of the Blastomyces antigen test with other dimorphic fungi is a concern, necessitating that positive test results are interpreted in the context of the patient's exposure and travel history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Walkty
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Diagnostic Services Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
| | - Yoav Keynan
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Perry Dhaliwal
- Section of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - John Embil
- Department of Medical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Central Nervous System Blastomycosis Without Travel to Known Endemic Area. INFECTIOUS DISEASES IN CLINICAL PRACTICE 2016. [DOI: 10.1097/ipc.0000000000000355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Brown DA, Whealy MA, Van Gompel JJ, Williams LN, Klaas JP. Diagnostic Dilemma in Primary Blastomyces dermatitidis Meningitis: Role of Neurosurgical Biopsy. Case Rep Neurol 2015; 7:63-70. [PMID: 25960731 PMCID: PMC4410509 DOI: 10.1159/000381469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A 52-year-old male on chronic prednisone for polymyalgia rheumatica presented with a subacute history of headaches, nausea, phonophobia, intermittent diplopia and gait instability. He was hospitalized 2 weeks prior to presentation with extensive evaluations only notable for leptomeningeal inflammation on MRI. His symptoms progressively worsened and he developed aphasia. He was transferred to our facility where extensive spinal fluid examinations were repeated and were again nondiagnostic. Ultimately, a diagnostic skull-based biopsy was performed which demonstrated Blastomyces dermatitidis fungal meningitis. Despite extensive sampling and cultures, only 1 of the intraoperative samples yielded diagnostic results. This underscores the low sensitivity of current methods to diagnose CNS blastomycosis. This case suggests that a neurosurgical biopsy may be necessary and should be considered early in the diagnostic process, especially if a definitive diagnosis is elusive. If a biopsy is performed, sampling should be ample and from multiple areas. Following the diagnosis, our patient was treated with liposomal amphotericin B and then voriconazole with a good clinical response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desmond A Brown
- Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., USA
| | - Mark A Whealy
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., USA
| | | | | | - James P Klaas
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn., USA
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Infektionen. NEUROINTENSIV 2015. [PMCID: PMC7175474 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-46500-4_32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In diesem Kapitel werden zunächst die für die Neurointensivmedizin wesentlichen bakteriellen Infektionen (Meningitis, spinale und Hirnabszesse, Spondylodiszitis, septisch-embolische Herdenzephalitis) abgehandelt, die trotz gezielt eingesetzter Antibiotika und neurochirurgischer Therapieoptionen noch mit einer erheblichen Morbidität und Mortalität behaftet sind. Besonderheiten wie neurovaskuläre Komplikationen, die Tuberkulose des Nervensystems, Neuroborreliose, Neurosyphilis und opportunistische Infektionen bei Immunsuppressionszuständen finden hierbei besondere Berücksichtigung. Der zweite Teil dieses Kapitels behandelt akute und chronische Virusinfektionen des ZNS sowie in einem gesonderten Abschnitt die HIVInfektion und HIV-assoziierte Krankheitsbilder sowie Parasitosen und Pilzinfektionen, die in Industrieländern seit Einführung der HAART bei HIV zwar eher seltener, aber mit zunehmender Globalisierung auch in unseren Breiten immer noch anzutreffen sind.
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Antinori S, Milazzo L, Corbellino M. Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Mycoses in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients. Clin Infect Dis 2014; 59:1652-3. [DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Abstract
Even at a time when HIV/AIDS and immunosuppressive therapy have increased the number of individuals living with significant immunocompromise, diabetes mellitus (DM) remains a major comorbid disorder for several rare but potentially lethal infections, including rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis and malignant external otitis. DM is also a commonly associated condition in patients with nontropical pyomyositis, pyogenic spinal infections, Listeria meningitis, and blastomycosis. As West Nile virus spread to and across North America over a decade ago, DM appeared in many series as a risk factor for death or neuroinvasive disease. More recently, in several large international population-based studies, DM was identified as a risk factor for herpes zoster. The relationships among infection, DM, and the nervous system are multidirectional. Viral infections have been implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 and type 2 DM, while parasitic infections have been hypothesized to protect against autoimmune disorders, including type 1 DM. DM-related neurologic disease can predispose to systemic infection - polyneuropathy is the predominant risk factor for diabetic foot infection. Because prognosis for many neurologic infections depends on timely institution of antimicrobial and sometimes surgical therapy, neurologists caring for diabetic patients should be familiar with the clinical features of the neuroinfectious syndromes associated with DM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryl A Jay
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco and Neurology Service, San Francisco General Hospital, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Marylou V Solbrig
- Departments of Internal Medicine (Neurology) and Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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Munich SA, Johnson AK, Ahuja SK, Venizelos A, Byrne RW. Large cerebellar mass lesion: A rare intracranial manifestation of blastomycosis. Surg Neurol Int 2013; 4:141. [PMID: 24231945 PMCID: PMC3816295 DOI: 10.4103/2152-7806.119882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2013] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungus found endemically in the Mississippi and Ohio River basins and in the Midwestern and Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes. Unlike other fungal infections, it most commonly affects immunocompetent hosts. Blastomycosis typically manifests as pulmonary infection, but may affect nearly any organ, including the skin, bone, and genitourinary system. Central nervous system (CNS) blastomycosis is rare, but potentially fatal manifestation of this disease. When it does occur, it most commonly presents as acute or chronic meningitis. CASE DESCRIPTION We present a case of a patient who suffered intractable nausea and vomiting for several months before discovery of a large cerebellar blastomycoma causing mass effect and obstructive hydrocephalus. The enhancing lesion with unusual peripheral cystic structures is a unique radiographic appearance of CNS blastomycosis. CONCLUSION We review this patient's purely intraparenchymal manifestation of CNS blastomycosis and describe the unique imaging characteristics encountered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephan A Munich
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
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Abstract
Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are susceptible to complications from pharmacologic treatment of their disease. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors are being used increasingly in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease and can be associated with adverse events, including common infections, and rarely the development of serious life-threatening opportunistic infections. TNF-α inhibitors have the ability to prevent an effective patient granulomatous response, and this may be associated with an increased risk of developing mycobacterial and certain fungal infections, including histoplasmosis, blastomycosis, and coccidioidomycosis, endemic in several parts of the United States. The concern for invasive fungal infection was realized during clinical trials and further demonstrated after the marketing of TNF-α inhibitors. Because of this awareness, the Food and Drug Administration developed an adverse event-reporting system to capture cases of infections associated with the use of TNF-α inhibitors. These opportunistic fungi have a great degree of regional variability, and it has been very difficult to quantify the incidence of infection in patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors. Currently, there are no formal guidelines regarding the use of TNF-α inhibitors and these fungal infections. Considering that gastroenterologists have embraced the use TNF-α inhibitors as a valuable armamentarium in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, they must be aware of therapy-related infectious complications, including appropriate diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventive strategies. In this article, we explore the association of these fungal entities in relation to the TNF-α inhibitor therapy by considering information provided in the gastroenterology, infectious diseases, rheumatology, and transplant literature. Finally, we provide some recommendations on diagnosis and treatment.
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Outcomes of persons with blastomycosis involving the central nervous system. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis 2013; 76:175-81. [DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Davis AP, Marra CM, Khot SP. Diagnostic dilemma of a young man with Fever and headaches. Neurohospitalist 2012; 2:156-62. [PMID: 23983881 DOI: 10.1177/1941874412438059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arielle P Davis
- University of Washington, Harborview Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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Scott AD, Dhir A. Case of the month #175: intracranial blastomycosis. Can Assoc Radiol J 2012; 63:73-6. [PMID: 22281398 DOI: 10.1016/j.carj.2010.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2010] [Accepted: 06/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Scott
- Department of Medical Imaging, Royal University Hospital, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.
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Infektionen. NEUROINTENSIV 2012. [PMCID: PMC7123678 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-16911-3_32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Trotz Weiterentwicklung moderner Antibiotika in den letzten Jahren sind die Letalitätszahlen der bakteriellen (eitrigen) Meningitis weiterhin hoch; Überlebende haben häufig neurologische Residuen. Die ungünstigen klinischen Verläufe der bakteriellen Meningitis sind meist Folge intrakranieller Komplikationen, wie z. B. eines generalisierten Hirnödems, einer zerebrovaskulären arteriellen oder venösen Beteiligung oder eines Hydrozephalus.
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Dobre MC, Smoker WR, Kirby P. A case of solitary Blastomyces dermatitidis meningitis. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2011; 113:665-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.clineuro.2011.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2010] [Revised: 02/25/2011] [Accepted: 03/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Abrams E, Dean HJ, Bunge MK, Taback SP, Sellers EAC. Blastomycosis of the central nervous system in a child: a rare cause of hypopituitarism. J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab 2011; 24:775-7. [PMID: 22145474 DOI: 10.1515/jpem.2011.275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Blastomyces dermatitidis is a dimorphic fungus that can cause granulomatous lesions. Typically, children present with respiratory symptoms. Central nervous system involvement is unusual, and almost always associated with involvement of other organs. This case report, to our knowledge, is the first published case of an adolescent male presenting with panhypopituitarism secondary to a blastomycosis infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa Abrams
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, University of Manitoba, FE125-685 William Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3E1B2, Canada.
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Campdelacreu J, Capurro S, Pumarola T. Varón de 52 años con inestabilidad de la marcha. Med Clin (Barc) 2010; 134:260-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2009.05.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2009] [Accepted: 05/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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McKinnell JA, Pappas PG. Blastomycosis: new insights into diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. Clin Chest Med 2009; 30:227-39, v. [PMID: 19375630 DOI: 10.1016/j.ccm.2009.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The basic science and clinical understanding of infection with Blastomyces dermatitidis has been a field of constant evolution and continued revision of hypotheses. This article highlights some areas in which recent progress has the potential for significant impact on the clinical care of patients. Specifically, this article examines the application of modern technology to epidemiologic studies, the development of novel vaccine candidates, emerging populations at risk for the disease, rapid diagnostic tools, and the application of novel antifungal agents in the treatment of blastomycosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A McKinnell
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0006, USA.
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Chapman SW, Dismukes WE, Proia LA, Bradsher RW, Pappas PG, Threlkeld MG, Kauffman CA. Clinical practice guidelines for the management of blastomycosis: 2008 update by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clin Infect Dis 2008; 46:1801-12. [PMID: 18462107 DOI: 10.1086/588300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 366] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence-based guidelines for the management of patients with blastomycosis were prepared by an Expert Panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. These updated guidelines replace the previous management guidelines published in the April 2000 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases. The guidelines are intended for use by health care providers who care for patients who have blastomycosis. Since 2000, several new antifungal agents have become available, and blastomycosis has been noted more frequently among immunosuppressed patients. New information, based on publications between 2000 and 2006, is incorporated in this guideline document, and recommendations for treating children with blastomycosis have been noted.
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Abstract
The endemic mycoses are diverse group of fungi that share several characteristics. They are able to cause disease in healthy hosts, they each occupy a specific ecologic niche in the environment, and they exhibit temperature dimorphism, existing as molds in the environment at temperature of 25 degrees C to 30 degrees C, and as yeasts, or spherules in the case of coccidioidomycosis, at body temperatures. This article discusses histoplasmosis and blastomycosis. Sporotrichosis, which differs in that it is usually a localized lymphocutaneous infection, is included because it shares the characteristics of endemic mycoses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol A Kauffman
- University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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25
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Chan AK, Sanders K, McNeely D, Detsky AS. More steroids or less? That is the question! J Hosp Med 2006; 1:241-7. [PMID: 17219505 DOI: 10.1002/jhm.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne K Chan
- Departments of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Bakleh M, Aksamit AJ, Tleyjeh IM, Marshall WF. Successful Treatment of Cerebral Blastomycosis with Voriconazole. Clin Infect Dis 2005; 40:e69-71. [PMID: 15825017 DOI: 10.1086/429319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2004] [Accepted: 12/23/2004] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Blastomycosis can occasionally involve the central nervous system (CNS). Amphotericin B deoxycholate is considered the drug of choice for the treatment of CNS blastomycosis. Significant toxicity may be associated with its use. We describe a case of cerebral blastomycoma that was successfully treated with voriconazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohanad Bakleh
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.
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Thaler DE, Frosch MP. Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Weekly clinicopathological exercises. Case 16-2002. A 41-year-old woman with global headache and an intracranial mass. N Engl J Med 2002; 346:1651-8. [PMID: 12023999 DOI: 10.1056/nejmcpc020016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David E Thaler
- Tufts Comprehensive Stroke Center, New England Medical Center, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, USA
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Saito M, Sharp NJH, Munana K, Troan BV, Tokuriki M, Thrall DE. CT findings of intracranial blastomycosis in a dog. Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2002; 43:16-21. [PMID: 11871374 DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-8261.2002.tb00436.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Computed tomography (CT) findings in a dog with intracranial blastomycosis were marked periventricular contrast enhancement of the lateral ventricles, the 3rd ventricle, and the mesencephalic aqueduct. The CT appearance correlated with the histopathologic findings, where severe ependymitis was present throughout the ventricular system and there was stenosis of the mesencephalic aqueduct due to an inflammatory infiltrate. CT is therefore recommended as a screening test for intracranial blastomycosis in dogs and also as an imaging modality for follow-up evaluation after treatment. This is particularly true in dogs with systemic or ocular blastomycosis, which appear to be at higher risk of developing CNS involvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyoko Saito
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh 27606, USA
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