Abstract
Coccidioides immitis is a dimorphic fungus that grows as a filamentous mold in soil and as a spherule at human body temperature. The hyphal or soil form is found rarely in human tissue. We report 5 cases of coccidioidomycosis in which hyphae were found in brain tissue or spinal fluid. The presence of central nervous system plastic devices appears to be associated with morphological reversion to the saprophytic form. This reversion has implications for diagnosis and therapy and may increase the risk of obstruction of the device(s).
Publication types
-
Case Reports
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
-
Review
MeSH terms
-
Adult
-
Antifungal Agents / therapeutic use
-
Brain / microbiology*
-
Brain Diseases / diagnosis*
-
Brain Diseases / drug therapy
-
Brain Diseases / etiology
-
Coccidioides / classification*
-
Coccidioides / isolation & purification
-
Coccidioidomycosis / cerebrospinal fluid
-
Coccidioidomycosis / diagnosis*
-
Coccidioidomycosis / drug therapy
-
Coccidioidomycosis / etiology
-
Fatal Outcome
-
Female
-
Humans
-
Male
-
Microbial Sensitivity Tests
-
Middle Aged
-
Prognosis
-
Risk Assessment
-
Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt / adverse effects*