Gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis, an emerging infection in the immunocompetent host: a report of 14 patients.
Zygomycosis is characterized by tissue invasion with broad, non-septate hyphae of species such as Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Lichtheimia (Absidia) and Basidiobolus. Basidiobolus ranarum usually causes subcutaneous infection, and gastrointestinal manifestations in immunocompetent patients have rarely been reported. It is difficult to diagnose gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis because of the non-specific clinical presentation and the absence of a definite risk factor. This study identified 14 cases of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis, all of which were diagnosed after surgery by characteristic histopathological findings. Diagnosis of this disease requires a high index of suspicion in patients presenting with abdominal symptoms, fever, gastrointestinal mass and eosinophilia accompanied by a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate.
Department of Pathology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1864, Shiraz, Iran.|Transplant Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1864, Shiraz, Iran.
Bita
B
Geramizadeh
Department of Pathology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1864, Shiraz, Iran.
Razieh
R
Foroughi
Department of Pathology, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1864, Shiraz, Iran.
Marzieh
M
Keshtkar-Jahromi
Department of Surgery, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1864, Shiraz, Iran.
Seyed-Ali
SA
Malek-Hosseini
Microbiology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1864, Shiraz, Iran.
Abdolvahab
A
Alborzi
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D020091:Entomophthorales / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020096:Zygomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology