Health Encyclopedia

Blastomycosis

Definition

Blastomycosis is a rare infection caused by breathing in (inhaling) a fungus called Blastomyces dermatitidis, which is found in wood and soil.

Alternative Names

North American blastomycosis; Gilchrist's disease

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Blastomycosis occurs in people living in the south-central and midwestern United States and Canada. The infection is seen in 1-2 out of every 100,000 people in areas where the fungus most frequently occurs. It is even less common outside those areas.

Being around infected soil is the key risk factor.

The disease usually affects people with weakened immune systems, such as those with HIV or organ transplant recipients. Men are more likely to be affected than women.

Lung infection may produce no symptoms, but when the infection spreads, skin lesions or bone lesions may appear and the bladder, kidney, prostate, and testes may be affected.

Symptoms

Cough (may produce brown or bloody mucus)
Shortness of breath
Sweating
Fever
Fatigue
General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill-feeling (malaise)
Unintentional weight loss
Joint stiffness and joint pain
Muscle stiffness and pain
Rash
Skin lesions
Chest pain

Signs and tests

History of living in an area where the fungus is commonly found
Chest x-ray
Tissue biopsy
Skin biopsy
Sputum culture and special stains

Treatment

Medicines may not be needed for a blastomycosis infection that remains in the lungs, unless it becomes severe. When the disease is severe, or when it spreads outside of the lungs, the following medicines (anti-fungals) may be prescribed:

Itraconazole
Fluconazole
Ketoconazole

Amphotericin B may be used for severe infections.

You should follow-up regularly with your doctor to make sure the infection doesn't return.

Expectations (prognosis)

Patients with minor skin sores (lesions) and relatively mild lung infections usually recover completely. If the infection is not treated, it can become severe enough to cause death.

Complications

Large sores with pus (abscesses)
Return of the infection (relapse or disease recurrence)
Unpleasant side effects to drugs such as amphotericin B

Calling your health care provider

Call your health care provider if symptoms of blastomycosis occur.

Prevention

Avoiding travel to areas where the infection is known to occur may help prevent exposure to the fungus, but this may not always be possible.

Review Date:7/26/2006
Reviewed By:Charlotte Grayson, MD, Private Practice specializing in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease, Smyrna, GA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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