An Experience From a Pleural Effusion Patient: A Rare Case of Coccidioidomycosis

Abstract

Pulmonary coccidioidomycosis is an infection in the lungs caused by the fungus Coccidioides. The disease is very rare in India and only a few cases have been reported so far. The diagnosis of pulmonary coccidioidomycosis is very challenging because it mimics other lower respiratory tract infections. Both clinical suspicion and laboratory confirmation plays a very important role in the diagnosis of this infection and in resource limited settings only culture and microscopy play a vital role in the diagnosis. Early diagnosis helps in appropriate therapy to avoid later complications.

Keywords

• coccidioidomycosis
• lower respiratory tract infection
• pleural infection
• tuberculosis