Blastomycosis: a case study of a dimorphic fungal disease.
A 17-year-old male presented to a local hospital with symptoms of pneumonia and a hacking cough productive of yellow sputum. Direct examination of a bronchial lavage sample revealed organisms morphologically consistent with Blastomyces dermatitidis, which was confirmed by culture. The patient was placed on intravenous antifungal therapy and his condition improved dramatically.


OBJECTIVE
to describe the gross and microscopic morphologies of both yeast and mold forms of B. dermatitidis; to identify B. dermatitidis given patient history, and microscopic and colony morphology; to describe the symptoms of primary pulmonary infections caused by B. dermatitidis, and to name additional tissues typically affected by the systemic pathogen.
Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, GA 31419, USA.
Elizabeth
E
Boswell
Hassan
H
Aziz
D000293:Adolescent; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001758:Blastomyces / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D001759:Blastomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D000935:Antifungal Agents