Synonyms South American blastomycosis Definition Paracoccidioidomycosis refers to the endemic disease produced by N/A(L):Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. The infection is found beginning at about 23 degrees North latitude in Mexico and extends southwards to Argentina. It is not seen in Chile and the Caribbean Islands. The ecologic niche for P. brasiliensis remains obscure and the fungus has only been isolated four times from soil [328, 2107]. Inhalation of conidia is presumably the route of acquisition. Primary infection is asymptomatic in most cases. The fungus can remain dormant for years within lymph nodes to appear later probably in relation to some type of […]

Overview Infection of the pancreas with Candida spp. is another form of intra-abdominal candidiasis that was considered extremely unusual for many years but now it is being recognized as an important, albeit infrequent, problem. All cases of pancreatic candidiasis are related to some form of pancreatic injury. Indeed, its retroperitoneal location seems to protect the pancreas from hematogenous or contiguous infections, but once some type of injury has occurred a predisposition to this type of complication becomes manifest. Bacterial infections are much more frequent in this setting, with enteric microorganisms being the ones usually recovered. Cultures show a polymicrobial flora […]

Overview Oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC) is the general term given to the oral infection caused by the yeast Candida. This condition is also often referred to informally as “thrush”. As we will discuss in detail in this section, OPC meets all the criteria to be considered an opportunistic infection. Whereas asymptomatic oral colonization may also occur, OPC implies the presence of signs and symptoms of infection. Epidemiology Candida spp. are part of the normal mouth flora in 25-50% of healthy individuals [1672]. Such carriage is referred to as asymptomatic colonization. Candida albicans is the most frequent colonizer (70-80%) but any of […]

Synonyms When the infection is due to a dermatophyte, both “Ringworm of the nail” and “Tinea unguium” are sometimes used as synonyms. For an extended discussion of the nomenclature of the fungal infections of skin and nails, please see our overview of this area. Definition Onychomycosis refers to the invasion of the nail plate by a fungus. The infection may be due to a N/A(L):dermatophyte, yeast, or nondermatophyte mould. The term “tinea unguium” is used specifically to describe invasive dermatophytic onychomycosis [656]. Onychomycosis, particularly fingernail infections have an important impact on the life of affected individuals. Shame may preclude patients […]

Overview Distinct from the CNS candidiasis related to hematogenously disseminated candidiasis, neurosurgery-related CNS candidiasis follows surgical interventions that involve placement of plastic devices into the brain. Most infections are due to ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt placement. Only a few cases have followed simple craniotomies or lumbar punctures [438, 816]. VP shunt infections are common [295, 436, 2017]. Most such infections are bacterial, with fungal cases being rare. However, Candida spp. explains almost all fungal-related VP shunt infections [436, 2017]. Epidemiology Fungal meningitis in patients with VP shunts in place occurs relatively infrequently. Incidence rates of between 1% and 17% have been […]

Overview Invasive candidiasis in neonates is a serious and relatively common cause of late onset sepsis associated with a high mortality. A review of the first 26 cases reported in the English literature up to 1984 reported a mortality rate of 54% [1128]. More recent data from the (A):NICHD Neonatal Research Network centers reported a death rate of 28.1% in the neonates with fungemia [2170]. Premature neonates and particularly low birth weight infants require invasive diagnostic and aggressive therapeutic interventions, many of which increase the risk factors for developing Candida infections (see below). In addition the immaturity of the immune […]