Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.

Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America, mostly in Brazil. The involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is uncommon and usually associated with the acute form. Recently, a cluster of acute PCM cases has been described in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We report a 42-yea...

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Main Authors: Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão, Manuela da Costa Medeiros, Andrea D Ávila Freitas, João Carlos de Almeida Soares, Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel, Leonardo Pereira Quintella, Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas, Priscila Marques de Macedo, Antônio Carlos Francesconi do Valle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2023-01-01
Series:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Online Access:https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011023&type=printable
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author Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão
Manuela da Costa Medeiros
Andrea D Ávila Freitas
João Carlos de Almeida Soares
Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel
Leonardo Pereira Quintella
Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas
Priscila Marques de Macedo
Antônio Carlos Francesconi do Valle
author_facet Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão
Manuela da Costa Medeiros
Andrea D Ávila Freitas
João Carlos de Almeida Soares
Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel
Leonardo Pereira Quintella
Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas
Priscila Marques de Macedo
Antônio Carlos Francesconi do Valle
author_sort Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão
collection DOAJ
description Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America, mostly in Brazil. The involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is uncommon and usually associated with the acute form. Recently, a cluster of acute PCM cases has been described in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We report a 42-year-old male, resident of Rio de Janeiro, presenting chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain in the past 3 years, previously diagnosed as Chron´s disease. When immunosuppressive therapy was prescribed, the patient evolved with worsening of the previous symptoms in addition to odynophagia, 20 kg-weight loss, disseminated skin lesions, diffuse lymphadenopathy and adrenal insufficiency. Histopathological and mycological examination of a skin lesion were compatible with PCM. Itraconazole was prescribed in high doses (400 mg/day). After seven months of treatment, the patient presented with acute abdominal pain which led to an emergent appendectomy, revealing the presence of the fungus. After 24 months, the patient reached clinical cure and recovered from adrenal insufficiency. We emphasize the importance of PCM as a differential diagnosis in patients with chronic diarrhea. The risk of fungal infections should be considered prior to initiating immunosupressive therapies, particularly in endemic areas.
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spelling doaj-art-7de22900cd2b49cf92eb777b32b9cbd12025-08-20T03:17:43ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases1935-27271935-27352023-01-01171e001102310.1371/journal.pntd.0011023Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho FalcãoManuela da Costa MedeirosAndrea D Ávila FreitasJoão Carlos de Almeida SoaresMaria Inês Fernandes PimentelLeonardo Pereira QuintellaDayvison Francis Saraiva FreitasPriscila Marques de MacedoAntônio Carlos Francesconi do ValleParacoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America, mostly in Brazil. The involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is uncommon and usually associated with the acute form. Recently, a cluster of acute PCM cases has been described in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We report a 42-year-old male, resident of Rio de Janeiro, presenting chronic diarrhea and abdominal pain in the past 3 years, previously diagnosed as Chron´s disease. When immunosuppressive therapy was prescribed, the patient evolved with worsening of the previous symptoms in addition to odynophagia, 20 kg-weight loss, disseminated skin lesions, diffuse lymphadenopathy and adrenal insufficiency. Histopathological and mycological examination of a skin lesion were compatible with PCM. Itraconazole was prescribed in high doses (400 mg/day). After seven months of treatment, the patient presented with acute abdominal pain which led to an emergent appendectomy, revealing the presence of the fungus. After 24 months, the patient reached clinical cure and recovered from adrenal insufficiency. We emphasize the importance of PCM as a differential diagnosis in patients with chronic diarrhea. The risk of fungal infections should be considered prior to initiating immunosupressive therapies, particularly in endemic areas.https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011023&type=printable
spellingShingle Eduardo Mastrangelo Marinho Falcão
Manuela da Costa Medeiros
Andrea D Ávila Freitas
João Carlos de Almeida Soares
Maria Inês Fernandes Pimentel
Leonardo Pereira Quintella
Dayvison Francis Saraiva Freitas
Priscila Marques de Macedo
Antônio Carlos Francesconi do Valle
Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
title Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.
title_full Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.
title_fullStr Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.
title_full_unstemmed Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.
title_short Acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of Crohn's disease.
title_sort acute paracoccidioidomycosis worsened by immunosuppressive therapy due to a misdiagnosis of crohn s disease
url https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0011023&type=printable
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