title: Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis in a patient with neurosarcoidosis on chronic steroid therapy secondary to recreational marijuana usage.
abstract: Cerebral phaeohyphomycosis is often a fatal disease that typically takes a hematogenous spread after inhalation or accidental skin inoculation of pathogens. We present a patient with a history of heavy marijuana smoking while being on chronic steroid therapy for treatment of neurosarcoidosis who was found to have multiple brain abscesses from Curvularia sp. This is a ubiquitous soil-dwelling dematiaceous fungus that is generally thought to affect solely plants, but there is increasing evidence in the literature of it affecting humans and animals. We review the radiographic findings of neurosarcoidosis and cerebral phaeohyphomycosis as well as the pathophysiology of dematiaceous fungi infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Cooper University Hospital, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, One Cooper Plaza, B23, Camden, NJ 08103, USA.
authors.forename: Preetam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gongidi
authors.forename: Debkumar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Behling
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brody