comparison of systemic mycoses

Question 1

which agents are thermally dimorphic?

Answer 1

H. capsulatum
B. dermatitidis
C. immitis
C. posadasii

Question 2

which agents produce microconidia?

Answer 2

H. capsulatum

B. dermatitidis

Question 3

which agents produce arthrospores?

Answer 3

C. immitis

C. posadasii

Question 4

how are the agents trasmitted?

Answer 4

inhalation of aerosolized microconidia or arthrospores

Question 5

which agents convert to a yeast form once in the RT?

Answer 5

H. capsulatum

B dermatitidis

Question 6

which agents convert to a spherule and endospore form once in the RT?

Answer 6

C. immitis

C. posadasii

Question 7

what is the POE of systemic mycoses?

Answer 7

RT

Question 8

what is the primary target site for systemic mycoses?

Answer 8

LRT

Question 9

how does pulmonary infection occur in systemic mycoses?

Answer 9

inhalation of aerosolized microconidia or arthrospores

Question 10

are systemic mycoses transmitted person-to-person?

Answer 10

no, parasitic cell forms in respiratory droplets are not infectious

Question 11

what is the normal habitat for systemic mycoses agents?

Answer 11

soil

Question 12

what agent/disease is found in guano enriched soils of the Ohio-Mississippi River valley?

Answer 12

H. capsulatum (histoplasmosis)

Question 13

what agent/disease is found in soils enriched with any form of organic matter near lakes, rivers of the Missouri, Arkansas River, St. Lawrence River basins?

Answer 13

B. dermatitidis (blasomycosis)

Question 14

what agent/disease is found in desert areas of the American SW, Central and South America?

Answer 14

C. immitis and C. posadasii

Desert Rheumatism
(Valley Fever)
(San Joaquin Valley Fever)
(Coccidioidomycosis)

Question 15

which Coccidioides species is associated with the San Joaquin Valley of the US?

Answer 15

C. immitis

Question 16

what type of patients are at increased risk of systemic mycoses?

Answer 16

severely immunocompromised patients

• hematological malignancies
• solid organ transplants on immunosuppression therapy
• late stage AIDS/HIV

Question 17

which SM agents are more likely to manifest as an asymptomatic infx?

Answer 17

Histoplasmosis

Coccidioidomycosis

Question 18

which SM agent is capable of growing intracellularly within macrophages and subsequently disseminated in non-activated macrophages?

Answer 18

H. capsulatum

Question 19

what is required for localization and control of SM infection?

Answer 19

CD4 T cells

Question 20

what is the incubation period for all 4 SM agents?

Answer 20

1-3 weeks

Question 21

which SM disease targets liver, spleen, and adrenals?

Answer 21

histoplasmosis

Question 22

which SM disease targets skin and soft tissue, bone (osteolytic), and GU tract?

Answer 22

blastomycosis

Question 23

which SM disease targets skin and soft tissue (rashes, etc), bones (osteolytic), skeletal pain, discomfort, joint/synovium, and CNS (meningitis)?

Answer 23

coccidioidomycosis

Question 24

key SM clinical buzz words?

Answer 24

anemia
lymphadenopathey
hepatosplenomegaly
skin/colonic ulcers

Question 25

what special stain is used to identify SM fungal agents?

Answer 25

KOH-treated tissue samples stained with appropriate fungal stains

Question 26

how long does SM fungal culture take?

Answer 26

1-4 weeks

Question 27

which agents are a biohazard to lab workers?

Answer 27

C. immitis

C. posadasii

Question 28

what lab test is used to identify SM fungal agents?

Answer 28

DNA probes

antigen tests

Question 29

for which agents is serology an important diagnosis?

Answer 29

histoplasmosis
blastomycosis
coccidioidomycosis

Question 30

What DTH skin test is used for epidemiological studies on histoplasmosis?

Answer 30

histoplasmin

Question 31

what DTH skin test is used for diagnosis/prognosis of coccidioidomycosis?

Answer 31

spherulin

Question 32

what does SM fungal CXR show?

Answer 32

basically same as MTB

Question 33

what is the treatment for all SM fungal infx?

Answer 33

amphotericin B lipid formulations