Blastomycosis and opportunistic infections in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. An autopsy study.

Abstract

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) are subject to a host of opportunistic infections, but to our knowledge a predisposition to blastomycosis has not previously been established. Autopsies of two patients with AIDS revealed disseminated blastomycosis with massive pulmonary involvement, Blastomyces meningoencephalitis, and widespread dissemination. The massive systemic involvement and rapid terminal course in both cases may reflect the state of acquired immunodeficiency. An analysis of an autopsy series showed that the incidence of blastomycosis was increased in patients with AIDS, although some other opportunistic organisms were more common (eg, Pneumocystis carinii, Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare, and Candida species). Thus, the diagnosis and treatment of blastomycosis must be pursued in patients with AIDS. Additional data are needed to further determine the incidence of blastomycosis in the population of patients with AIDS.