Blastomycosis differential diagnosis

Blastomycosis Microchapters
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: ; Vidit Bhargava, M.B.B.S [2] Aditya Ganti M.B.B.S. [3]

Overview

Blastomycosis have overlapping signs & symptoms with that of other fungal and bacterial disorders. A detailed History, Physical examination and serological tests helps us to pin-point the diagnosis. All this disorders can be often misinterpreted as community acquired pneumonia as they all present with similar complaints such as fever, productive cough, chest pain and shortness of breath. The following table elaborates differentiating features between blastomycosis from other fungal disorders.

Fungal

• Coccidioidomycosis
• Histoplasmosis
• Aspergillosis
• Pneumocystis pneumonia
• Sporotrichosis

Bacterial

• Anthrax
• Legionella
• Listeriosis
• Brucellosis
• Tuberculosis
• Scrub typhus
• Leptospirosis
• Cat scratch fever

Viral

• Chickenpox
• Herpes(Prodrome)
• Influenza
• Parainfluenza
• HIV -1/-2
• Coxsackie B virus
• Hepatits
• Cytomegalovirus
• Eastern equine encephalitis virus
• Venezuelan equine encephalitis
• Coronavirus
• California Encephalitis virus

Chronic and disseminated disease

Chronic blastomycosis may be initially confused with a malignancy or tuberculosis. While spread to other areas may be confused with malignancy as well. Skin lesions are often misdiagnosed as pyoderma gangreosum or keratoacanthoma. Therefore, a high index of suspicion is needed on the part of physician to diagnose blastomycosis