title: Update and review of blastomycosis.
abstract: Blastomycosis has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations. When a patient presents with chronic pneumonia, especially coexisting with cutaneous lesions, blastomycosis infection needs to be considered in the differential diagnosis. Erythema nodosum can rarely be associated with pulmonary blastomycosis. A positive culture is the gold standard of diagnosis; occasionally, the organism can be identified by its typical "shoe print" morphology with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) stain. The Gen-Probe technique may be required to confirm the uncertain culture results. The preferred treatment for blastomycosis in less severe cases is oral itraconazole, with amphotericin B in disseminated cases.
authors.affiliation: Louisiana State University (LSU) Medical Center, E.A. Conway Division 71201, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Steier
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gomila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001759:Blastomycosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001999:Bronchoscopy; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents