Fungal Flashcards
Talaromyces Reservoir
Bamboo rat
Dimorphic fungi Feature
Mould in the cold, yeast in the beast
Talaromyces Transmission
Inhalation of conidia from soil
Talaromyces Disease spectrum
Healthy - self clearance, non-HIV immunosuppressed - localised infection, advanced HIV - disseminated
Talaromyces Symptoms
Fever (92%), skin lesions (67%), respiratory (cough 49%), GI, CNS, anaemia (77%), weight loss (76%), LN (56%), hepatomegaly 51%
Talaromyces Diagnosis
Skin biopsy touch smear
Talaromyces Treatment
Severe: Induction Amphotericin 10-14d -> Consolidation Itraconazole 10w, Mild-moderate Itraconazole 8-10w, Maintenance Itraconazole daily lifelong or once CD4>100 for 6m on ART
Global Fungal Challenges
Legacy of underfunding and underresearch, diagnostics are bad, antifungals are not great, many do not have access to the drugs, and climate change is likely to present a huge issue
Global Fungal Histopathology
Gold standard, Aspergillus - angioinvasion - thin septate hyphae with acute-angle branching; Mucor wide ribbon aseptate
Global Fungal Diagnostics
3% patients treated for IFI had ‘proven’, remaining were diagnosed on surrogate markers
Global Fungal BDG use
Aspergillus, Histoplasma, Talaromyces, Invasive Candidiasis, PCP (NOT Crypto or Mucor)
Global Fungal AspAg use
Aspergillus, Histoplasma, Talaromyces (NOT Candidiasis, PCP, Crypto or Mucor)
Global Fungal IFI CT findings
Halo – area of consolidation with surrounding ground glass (surrounding haemorrhage) – eventually leave long enough, will get an area of air (the crescent sign) – the textbook presentations are rare! Especially in immunocompromised! Present in odd ways
Global Fungal RDTs
CrAg, Histoplasma urine, AspAg serum, Coccidioides
Global Fungal Polyenes
Nystatin, Amphotericin B, Lamb