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Coccidioidomycosis - chronic pulmonary

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Symptoms:

• Chronic cough
• Blood-tinged sputum
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Shortness of breath

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• Wheezing
• Sweating, excessive
• Joint stiffness
• Chest pain
• Headache

Signs and tests:

• Sputum smear (KOH test)
• Sputum fungal culture
• Serum coccidioides complement fixation titer (serology)
• CBC with differential
• Chest x-ray
• Chest CT scan
• Coccidioidin or spherulin skin test
• Bronchoscopy
• Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy
• Open lung biopsy
• Mediastinoscopy
• Lumbar puncture (spinal tap) to exclude meningitis involvement

References:

Chiller TM. Coccidioidomycosis. Infect Dis Clin North Am . 2003; 17(1): 41-57, viii.

Murray J, Nadel J. Textbook of Respiratory Medicine . 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: WB Saunders; 2000.

Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases . 5th ed. London, UK: Churchill Livingstone; 2000:2746-2755.

Galgiani JN, Ampel N, Blair JE, et al. Coccidioidomycosis. Clin Infect Dis . 2005;41:1217-23.

• Review Date: 8/10/2005
• Reviewed By: David A. Kaufman, M.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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