1/7. Invasive aspergillosis diagnosed by fine-needle aspiration of the thyroid gland.Invasive aspergillosis has been increasingly recognized as causing significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients but has never been diagnosed by fine-needle thyroid aspiration. A 24-year-old female with systemic lupus erythematosus presented with cough, shortness of breath, and fever of unknown origin unresponsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics. history and physical examination failed to indicate a source of infection. An 111In white blood cell scan showed thyroid localization. physical examination revealed a multinodular goiter with a left dominant nodule. Fine-needle aspiration biopsy of a thyroid nodule revealed branching hyphae suggestive of Aspergillus sp. Despite immediate and aggressive treatment with amphotericin b and fluconazole, the patient died of overwhelming infection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/7. Primary aspergillosis of the larynx in a patient with Felty's syndrome.Herein we report the first case of primary aspergillosis of the larynx in a patient with Felty's syndrome. A 53-year-old man, a florist by profession, with a 12-year history of rheumatoid arthritis and on treatment with steroids, was admitted because of hoarseness, and intermittent fever of 2 weeks' duration. On admission, physical examination and laboratory data showed, among other findings, splenomegalia and neutropenia. At bone marrow examination, normal cellularity with mild dyserythropoiesis was observed. A fiberoptic laryngoscopy showed white plaques on both the true vocal cords. Both culture and microscopic examination of these lesions provided the diagnosis of invasive process by aspergillus flavus. A computed tomography of the middle ears, paranasal sinuses, and chest was normal. Thus, primary aspergillosis of the larynx and Felty's syndrome was diagnosed, and the patient was successfully treated with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and systemic antifungal agents. Felty's syndrome, corticosteroid use, and occupational risk probably rendered our patient susceptible to Aspergillus infection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/7. Cutaneous and paranasal aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient.A 26-year-old Libyan woman presented with asymptomatic nodulo-ulcerative skin lesions present for 1 year. Three years prior to presentation, she had experienced a nasal discharge followed by the development of a nodule in the nasal cavity and a plaque on the hard palate. These lesions had gradually increased in size and ulcerated, resulting in perforation of the nasal septum and palate. Two years later, the patient noticed the appearance of skin lesions: a nodule on the right thumb and numerous nodulo-ulcerative lesions on the extremities. General physical examination was normal with no significant lymphadenopathy. Examination of the oral cavity revealed perforation of the distal nasal septum, with a perforated nodular plaque involving the entire palate, associated with subluxation of the upper incisors (Fig. 1a). On skin examination, multiple firm nodules and nodulo-ulcerative lesions with a central eschar and raised margins were observed. The lesions ranged in size from 0.5 to 5 cm and were distributed on the right hand and fingers, left upper arm (Fig. 1b), left calf, and right thigh. Routine laboratory investigations (liver function tests, serum calcium, electrolytes, lipid profile, urine and stool culture studies) were normal. immunoelectrophoresis disclosed normal levels of immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM. Serologic studies for human immunodeficiency virus (hiv) and syphilis, and a tuberculin test, were all negative. A Giemsa-stained tissue smear was negative for leishmania tropica organisms. Radiological studies disclosed a slight haziness of the maxillary sinuses with perforation of the nasal septum. A chest X-ray was normal. Histopathologic examination of biopsies taken from both the palate and from ulcerated and nonulcerated skin lesions was performed, and all showed similar findings. The biopsy of a nonulcerated skin lesion showed pseudoepitheliomatous epidermal hyperplasia with neutrophilic microabscesses (Fig. 2a). A dermal diffuse and nodular granulomatous mixed infiltrate of lymphocytes, histiocytes, giant cells, numerous eosinophils, and neutrophilic microabscesses was seen in all tissues examined. Septate hyphae were present both within giant cells and free in the dermis (Fig. 2b). The hyphae were branching at a 45 degrees angle and were positive on periodic acid-Schiff and Grocott methenamine silver stains (Fig. 2c). Fungal culture studies of material taken from an ulcerated skin lesion grew aspergillus flavus. blood cultures were negative for Aspergillus sp. or other microorganisms. The patient was treated with intravenous amphotericin b, but the medication was discontinued due to her intolerance to the drug. She was subsequently lost to follow-up.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/7. Isolated nasopharyngeal aspergillosis caused by A flavus and associated with oxalosis.We report a case of isolated nasopharyngeal aspergillosis in a 52-year-old woman with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. We found the nasopharyngeal lesion incidentally while evaluating bilateral cervical lymphadenopathy, which we had discovered during a routine follow-up examination pursuant to the patient's thyroid problem. biopsy analysis of the nasopharyngeal lesion revealed the presence of a mycelium made up of septate hyphae and associated oxalosis. Mycologic examination confirmed that aspergillus flavus was the responsible pathogen. No systemic involvement or involvement of other head and neck sites was found. The patient had been exposed to a considerable amount of dust during the construction of her house, and this may have been the precipitating factor in the development of her infection. We treated the patient with a 4-week course of itraconazole. At the end of therapy, she exhibited no evidence of A flavus on physical and mycologic examinations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/7. Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by Aspergillus complicated with pulmonary aspergilloma.A 57-year-old man consulted our hospital with a history of the gradual onset of dyspnea and a productive cough. Chest computed tomographic (CT) scans showed a nodular shadow in a cavity lesion, and reticulonodular, cystic, and ground-grass opacities in the bilateral lung fields with honeycombing. He was diagnosed as having pulmonary aspergilloma and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). As an outpatient, he suffered from dyspnea upon physical exertion with exacerbation of the high-resolution CT (HRCT) opacities. An inhalation provocation test for aspergillosis fumigatus was positive and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (CHP) caused by Aspergillus was finally diagnosed. Insidious CHP is sometimes misdiagnosed as IPF. The diagnosis of insidious CHP should be made on the basis of a detailed history, specific HRCT findings, and lymphocyte-dominant bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cell findings.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/7. Cranial manifestations of aspergillosis.Five patients with differing forms and severity of cranial aspergillosis illustrate the range of neuroradiologic manifestations as evaluated with angiography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Together with the physical findings, these subjects illustrate the dire clinical situation requiring immediate recognition in order to attempt to control this devastating, treatment resistant pathologic fungal infection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/7. Multiple mycotic aneurysms and transverse myelopathy complicating repair of aortic coarctation.The case of an 18-year-old man with coarctation of the aorta discovered on routine physical examination and subsequently surgically repaired is reported. Four months postoperatively, aneurysms developed at the repair site and thrombosis of both femoral arteries was noted. Following an attempt to repair the aneurysm and remove the thrombi, the patient became paraplegic; aspergillus fumigatus was found infecting the aorta and femoral vessels. After additional operations and a course of amphotericin b to control the fungal infection, the patient died of intrathoracic bleeding originating from infected, aneurysmally dilated intercostal vessels in the area of the original coarctation repair. The complicating fungal infection of the operative site and the paraplegia are discussed. This report is among the first to present a patient with fungal endarteritis complicating operation for coarctation of the aorta.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physical (Clic here for more details about this article) |