Sketchy: Coccidioides immitis Flashcards
1
Q
What are the clinical features of Cocci in healthy people?
A
- asymptomatic/subclinical
- acute PNA (fever, sweats, arthralgias)
- erythema nodosum
2
Q
What does the CXR look like in Coccidioides immitis?
A
either nothing or will have cavities and/or nodules
3
Q
Cue:
- Presidio San Juaqin
A
- Presidio = Coccidio; Southwestern USA
- Coccidioides immitis aka San Juaqin Valley Fever (all the dust)
4
Q
Cue:
- pale pillars of the wall with red spots all over the front of them
A
- pillars = legs
- red spots = erythema nodosum
5
Q
How is Coccidioides immitis diagnosed?
A
- KOH stain
- culture (takes a long time)
- serology (IgM against Cocci)
6
Q
Cue:
- pinecones and frogs
A
- tx for Coccidioides immitis:
- cones = -conazole for local
- amphibians = Amphotericin B for systemic
7
Q
How big are the Coccidioides immitis spherules compared to RBCs?
A
bigger than an RBC
8
Q
Cue:
- soldier sitting next to the statue wearing a neck brace and holding his head
A
- next to statue = disseminated infection
- holding head/neck brace = meningitis
9
Q
Cue:
- cracks in the ground
A
earthquakes spread the spores
10
Q
What are the clinical features of Cocci in immunocompromised people?
A
invades skin, lung, bone, and meninges (meningitis)
11
Q
How is Coccidioides immitis transmitted?
A
spores in dust are inhaled (dust storms, earthquakes)
12
Q
How is Coccidioides immitis treated?
A
- -conazole for local
- Amphotericin B for systemic
13
Q
Cue:
- large tumbleweeds (little circle patches in big spheres) and a small red sombrero blowing in the wind
A
- tumbleweeds = looks like smears: cocci form spherules filled with endospores inside the lungs
- red sombrero = RBC (smaller than spherules)
14
Q
Cue:
- butterfly
A
dimorphism (mold in the cold but SPHERULES OF ENDOSPORES in the heat)
15
Q
Cue:
- cracks and caved in bricks in the adobe wall
A
- cracks = shape of lungs
- bricks = nodules, cavities
