Giant blastoconidia of Candida albicans. A case report and review of the literature.
We describe a patient with extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphoma who developed systemic candidiasis after treatment with a cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapy regimen. Histologically, the fungal organisms demonstrated markedly enlarged blastoconidia with a variety of morphologic forms, mimicking other mycotic organisms, such as Cryptococcus neoformans, Blastomyces dermatitidis, and Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The in vivo occurrence of such giant forms is rare, and when observed histologically may result in an erroneous diagnosis or a diagnosis of multiple mycotic organisms.
Alasio
Teresa M
TM
Department of Pathology, The Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, NY 10029, USA. Teresa.alasio@msnyuhealth.org
Lento
Patrick A
PA
Bottone
Edward J
EJ
D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology; D008297:Male; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology