Human vocal cord infection with the Microsporidium Anncaliia algerae.
We describe a biopsy proven case of microsporidial infection of the false vocal cords in a 69-yr-old male with a history of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The patient had hoarseness for several weeks before his admission to the hospital for shortness of breath. He had received chemotherapy with fludarabine 6 wk before this hospital admission. A biopsy of vocal cord nodules demonstrated an organism that was identified as Anncaliia algerae by electron microscopy. Molecular analysis of the small subunit RNA gene amplified by polymerase chain reaction further confirmed the identification of this organism as A. algerae. This case illustrates the ability of this insect pathogen to cause disease in immune-compromised mammalian hosts.
Cali
Ann
A
Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey 07102, USA. anncali@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Neafie
Ronald
R
Weiss
Louis M
LM
Ghosh
Kaya
K
Vergara
Rebecca B
RB
Gupta
Rachna
R
Takvorian
Peter M
PM
D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007827:Laryngitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D021861:Microsporidia, Unclassified / Q000145:classification / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D016881:Microsporidiosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009172:Mycology / Q000379:methods; D010802:Phylogeny; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014827:Vocal Cords / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology*
D004271:DNA, Fungal; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal