Gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis, an emerging infection in the immunocompetent host: a report of 14 patients

J Med Microbiol. 2012 Dec;61(Pt 12):1770-1774. doi: 10.1099/jmm.0.046839-0. Epub 2012 Aug 23.

Abstract

Zygomycosis is characterized by tissue invasion with broad, non-septate hyphae of species such as Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Lichtheimia (Absidia) and Basidiobolus. Basidiobolus ranarum usually causes subcutaneous infection, and gastrointestinal manifestations in immunocompetent patients have rarely been reported. It is difficult to diagnose gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis because of the non-specific clinical presentation and the absence of a definite risk factor. This study identified 14 cases of gastrointestinal basidiobolomycosis, all of which were diagnosed after surgery by characteristic histopathological findings. Diagnosis of this disease requires a high index of suspicion in patients presenting with abdominal symptoms, fever, gastrointestinal mass and eosinophilia accompanied by a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child, Preschool
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging* / diagnosis
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging* / microbiology
  • Communicable Diseases, Emerging* / pathology
  • Entomophthorales / isolation & purification
  • Entomophthorales / pathogenicity*
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / microbiology*
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases / pathology
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / microbiology
  • Gastrointestinal Tract / pathology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Zygomycosis* / diagnosis
  • Zygomycosis* / microbiology
  • Zygomycosis* / pathology