Fungal infx of the respiratory tract Flashcards
What is the main factor that dictates whether a host will be infected with a fungus?
Immune status
What is zygomycosis?
a term used to describe a group of relatively uncommon, but potentially fatal infection caused by fungi belonging to the class Zygomycetes
What are the three predisposing factors to zygomycosis?
Immuno suppression
DM
burns
Where are zygomycetes usually found in the environment?
soil, vegetation, fruit,
What are the three fungi genera that are implicated in causing zygomycosis/are zygomycetes?
Rizopus
Absidia
Mucor
What is the organism and disease caused by fungi in the sinuses?
Zygomycetes
Mucormycosis
What is the organism and disease caused by fungi in oral cavity?
Candida
Thrush/ esophagitis
What are the 7 organisms and disease caused by fungi in the lungs?
Histoplasma Blastomyces Paracoccidiodies Coccidioides Crytpococcus Pneumocystis Aspergillus
True or false: infection with zygomycoses are rare in healthy individuals
True
What is the black mold that is found on bread?
Zygomycetes
Zygomycetes (like rhizopus, absidia and mucor) are septate or not? What is their morphology?
Wide, broad, Non-septate
What is the most common clinical presentation of zygomycoses? Who are they usually found in?
Rhinocerebral zygomycosis
DM pts
What are the initial symptoms of rhinocerebral zygomycosis?
Sinusitis / epistaxis,
fevers
Progression of rhinocerebral zygomycosis can lead to what?
AMS, brain death
What is the major predisposing factor to zygomycotic infections?
Immunosuppression / burn pts
How are zygomycoses diagnosed? What are the visual features?
Observation in culture, with broad aseptate hyphae, frequently have right angle
What is the treatment for zygomycoses?
Amphotericin B
What is the most common form of candida that cause infections in humans?
Candida albicans
What is the diagnostic test for candida albicans?
Spoon shaped germ tube
True or false: candida albicans are normal flora on the skin
True
Where is candida albicans usually found in the environment?
Food and fomites
What is the form that candida albicans takes in infections? In the environment?
Pseudohyphal form infection
Environment = yeast
Who gets thrush?
Immunosuppressed
Abx use
What is the clinical manifestation of thrush?
White, cheesy material in the mouth. With diffuse erythema beneath.
What is the treatment for thrush?
Mouth washes of nystatin and azole compounds
How do you diagnose thrush?
Direct observation in mouth and looking at them microscopically
How do all systemic mycoses initially present?
Respiratory infections through spores
Are the fungi that cause systemic mycoses opportunistic?
No, they can cause disease in previously healthy individuals
What is characteristic of the fungi that cause systemic mycoses?
Dimorphic
Where is histoplasmosis most commonly found?
Mississippi and ohio river
What is darling’s disease, cave dwellers disease, or spelunker’s disease?
Histoplasmosis infx
What is the cause of histoplasmosis?
Histoplasma capsultaum
Where is histoplasma found in the environment?
Soil containing bird/bat droppings
How is histoplasmosis inoculated?
inhalation of micro or macoconidia
What do histoplasma look like?
Round bumps around a central circle (turburculate)
True or false: histoplamsa are intracellular agents
True
Where do histoplasma replicate?
Macrophages
How many individuals who are infected with histoplasma shows symptoms?
~5%
What are the symptoms of pulmonary histoplasmosis? Duration?
Mild, flu like symptoms with a dry cough
Self limiting in 2-3 weeks
What causes the smalle, coin-like calcifications in the lungs that are usually incidental findings?
past infections with histoplamosis
What are the signs/symptoms of chronic pulmonary and disseminated histoplasmosis? Who does this occur in?
Fever, night sweats, weight loss. Hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopahty
this occurs in immunocompromised people
How do you diagnose histoplasmosis? What are the visual features?
Direct observation of the fungi in macrophages or antibody detection
Lack of distinctive morphology
What is the treatment for histoplasmosis?
Amphotericin B
Where are blastomycosis common?
Ohio river and mississippi
How many hospitalization happen each year d/t balstomycosis?
~1000 / year
Where in the environment can blastomyces be found/
Moist soil, vegetation
What is the visual characteristic blastomyces dermatitidis?
Large yeast, with thick cell walls
What are the symptoms of blastomycosis?
pulmonary symptoms (like flu),
can also cause ulcerative lesions of the skin, bone, and UG tract
How can blastomycosis be acquired?
Inhalation
What is the cough like in blastomycoses? Histomycoses?
Blasto = wet cough
Histo - dry