Double Take on Double Vision: Invasive Rhinosinusitis From Blastomyces dermatitidis in an Adolescent With Well-Controlled Diabetes

Abstract

Blastomyces dermatitidis is a fungus endemic to the Ohio and Mississippi river valley region and great lakes region. Exposure is typically associated with outdoor activities near streams, rivers, or moist soil. Pulmonary disease is the main manifestation, whereas dissemination is more frequently observed in immunosuppressed individuals. We herein report an uncommon case of B. dermatitidis causing invasive fungal sinusitis in a patient with well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus in the absence of conventional higher-risk environmental exposures. This case highlights the importance of a broad differential for invasive fungal infections in patients with diabetes, including those in endemic areas without classical exposures.

Keywords: Blastomyces dermatitidis; dissemination; rhinosinusitis; type 2 diabetes mellitus; urban.