Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports (Mar 2020)

Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis to the Gallbladder

  • Kulraj Grewal MD,
  • Tushar Bajaj MD,
  • Greti Petersen MD,
  • Augustine Munoz MD,
  • Arman Froush DO,
  • Arash Heidari MD

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1177/2324709620910636
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 8

Abstract

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Coccidioidomycosis is an infection caused by inhalation of arthroconidia produced by dimorphic fungi in the genus Coccidioides . Forty percent of patients will develop an influenza-like illness with symptoms suggestive of a mild and self-limited respiratory infection; however, 5% of these individuals will develop extrapulmonary disseminated disease. An immunocompromised patient presented with right upper quadrant pain, ultrasound with pericholecystic fluid, in which a percutaneous cholecystostomy contained biliary fluid that grew the fungus Coccidioides immitis . Patient was initiated on intravenous amphotericin therapy and was followed closely with postoperative bile drainage with eventual laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We present a very rare case of disseminated coccidioidomycosis to the gallbladder.