Penicillium marneffei in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid.
Penicillium marneffei is a rare human pathogen that may infect either healthy or immunocompromised hosts. In methenamine silver-stained preparations of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from a patient with dermatomyositis on steroid treatment, round-to-oval intracellular and extracellular microorganisms were found. The finding of occasional septate and elongated forms established the microorganism as probably P marneffei, which was confirmed on culture. Distinguishing this rare fungus from Pneumocystis carinii is important because these two diseases require different forms of treatment.
Chan
J K
JK
Institute of Pathology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Hong Kong.
Tsang
D N
DN
Wong
D K
DK
D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000382:microbiology*; D003882:Dermatomyositis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005335:Fever of Unknown Origin / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010407:Penicillium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D011020:Pneumonia, Pneumocystis / Q000175:diagnosis