A 32-year-old Caucasian male presents with low grade fever, cough and generalized malaise. The patient has otherwise been healthy and has no significant medical history. His past surgical history includes tonsillectomy and tympanostomy tube placement at the age of 8. Careful questioning reveals that the patient recently came back from an "outdoor adventure" trip in the Great Lakes, and began feeling sick only after returning. Microscopic examination of a KOH preparation of an exudate specimen reveals a large yeast cell with a single bud. When incubated in a specific medium at 75.2ºF (24ºC), a multicellular structure with branching, tubular cells grows. The patient is most likely infected with which of the following:

Question

A 32-year-old Caucasian male presents with low grade fever, cough and generalized malaise.  The patient has otherwise been healthy and has no significant medical history.  His past surgical history includes tonsillectomy and tympanostomy tube placement at the age of 8.  Careful questioning reveals that the patient recently came back from an "outdoor adventure" trip in the Great Lakes, and began feeling sick only after returning.  Microscopic examination of a KOH preparation of an exudate specimen reveals a large yeast cell with a single bud.  When incubated in a specific medium at 75.2ºF (24ºC), a multicellular structure with branching, tubular cells grows.  The patient is most likely infected with which of the following:

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Dimorphic fungi grow as molds at 25-30ºC and as yeast at body temperature (35-37ºC).  Medically important dimorphic fungi include Sporothrix, Coccidioides, Histoplasma, Blastomyces and Paracoccidioides species.

A 32-Year-Old Caucasian Male Presents with Low Grade Fever, Cough