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| Fig. 32.5 Blastomycosis. Areas depicted in yellow represent the areas reporting the most cases of blastomycosis. (Courtesy of the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center teaching files.) |
Blastomycosis, caused by the soil saprophyte
Blastomyces dermatitidis, is endemic in North America, especially the southeastern and south central states bordering the Mississippi, Ohio, and St. Lawrence rivers (Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, and Wisconsin), and the Great Lakes region (Fig. 32-5). Sporadic cases have been reported in Colorado, Texas, Kansas, and Nebraska. The typical patient is a middle-aged male with occupational or recreational exposure to the soil.
McKinnell JA, Pappas PG: Blastomycosis: new insights into diagnosis, prevention, and treatment,
Clin Chest Med 30(2):227–239, 2009.
