First report of splenic abscesses due to coccidioidomycosis

Abstract

Involvement of the spleen by Coccidioides is uncommon. It is usually associated only with disseminated infection and manifests as microscopic granulomas in the spleen. We report an immunosuppressed dermatomyositis patient who presented with splenic abscesses demonstrated on a computed tomography (CT) scan which was presumed to be bacterial in origin. At splenectomy the spleen was found to be filled with aggregates of spherules due to Coccidioides. Finding large splenic abscesses on CT scan due to Coccidioides has not been previously described. We offer a hypothesis for why the abscesses occurred in this unique patient.

Keywords

• coccidioidomycosis
• coccidioides
• Valley Fever
• spleen
• abscess
• immunocompromised host
• dermatomyositis
• splenectomy
• intravenous immunoglobulin
• IVIG