coccidioidomycosis

A variable, benign, severe, or sometimes fatal systemic mycosis due to inhalation of arthroconidia of Coccidioides immitis. In benign forms of the infection, the lesions are limited to the upper respiratory tract, lungs, and near lymph node s; in a low percentage of cases, the disease disseminates to other visceral organs, meninges, bones, joints, and skin and subcutaneous tissues. SYN: Posadas disease. [coccidioides + G. mykes, fungus, + -osis, condition]

- disseminated c. a severe, chronic, and progressive form of c. with spread from the lung to other organs. Patients with this disease are usually significantly immunocompromised.

- primary c. a disease common in the San Joaquin Valley of California and certain additional areas in the southwestern U.S. as well as the Chaco region of Argentina, caused by inhalation of the arthroconidia of Coccidioides immitis; acute onset of respiratory symptoms accompanied by fever, aches, malaise, arthralgia, headache, and occasionally an early erythematous or papular eruption; erythema multiforme or erythema nodosum may appear. SYN: desert fever, San Joaquin fever, San Joaquin Valley disease, San Joaquin Valley fever, valley fever.

- primary extrapulmonary c. a rare form of c. presenting near the site of local trauma with painless firm nodules occurring at one to two weeks, accompanied by regional adenopathy, with spontaneous healing in a few weeks.

- secondary c. progressive or disseminated extrapulmonary granulomatous lesions following primary c.. SYN: coccidioidal granuloma.

- subclinical c. a form of c. that does not come to medical attention because respiratory symptoms are mild and self-limited.

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coc·cid·i·oi·do·my·co·sis -.ȯid-ō-(.)mī-'kō-səs n, pl -co·ses -.sēz a disease of humans and domestic animals caused by a fungus of the genus Coccidioides (C. immitis) and marked esp. by fever and localized pulmonary symptoms called also San Joaquin fever, San Joaquin valley fever, valley fever

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n.

an infection caused by inhaling the spores of the fungus Coccidioides immitis. In 60% of patients infection produces no symptoms at all. In the primary form there is an influenza-like illness that usually resolves within about eight weeks. In a few patients the disease becomes progressive and resembles tuberculosis. Severe or progressive infections are treated with intravenous injections of amphotericin. The disease is endemic in the desert areas of the Americas, especially the southwestern United States, northern Mexico, and northern Argentina.

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coc·cid·i·oi·do·my·co·sis (kok-sid″e-oi″do-mi-koґsis) a fungal disease caused by infection with Coccidioides immitis, occurring in both primary and secondary forms. Called also coccidioidosis, coccidioidal granuloma, and Posadas or Posadas-Wernicke disease.