Disseminated Coccidioidomycosis Presenting as Polyarticular Septic Arthritis: A Case Report

Coccidioidomycosis a fungal infection endemic to southwestern United States. It is caused by inhalation of spores of Coccidioides immitis. Sixty percent of infections are asymptomatic; the remaining 40% are primarily pulmonary disease. In <1% of infections, dissemination can occur. Dissemination usually affects those with impaired cellular immunity and pregnant women, and can involve bones, joints, meninges, and skin. We present the case of a 29-year-old Hispanic male who presented to the emergency department (ED) complaining of pain and swelling of right wrist and ankle as well as left knee for 2 months. He was referred to rheumatology clinic but returned to the ED as he developed spontaneous purulent drainage from his wrist. In the ED, an arthrocentesis of 2 of the joints showed total nucleated cells of 520 000/cm2 and 90 000/cm2 with 61% and 93% neutrophils, respectively. Fungal culture eventually grew Coccidioides immitis from his wrist and knee. Coccidioidomycosis complement fixation titer came back >1:512. Bone scan showed uptake of adjacent bones in the affected joints. Superimposed bacterial infection of the wrist complicated the treatment course and delayed the start of liposomal amphotericin B. Eventually patient received 12 weeks of intravenous liposomal amphotericin-B with slow clinical improvement and then switched to oral isavuconazonium for maintenance therapy. This case shows that although disseminated polyarthritis coccidioidomycosis is very rare, clinicians should keep the diagnosis of disseminated synovial coccidioidomycosis in mind in patients with risk factors.

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Efficacy of Intravenous Liposomal Amphotericin B (AmBisome) against Coccidioidal Meningitis in Rabbits

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.46.8.2420-2426.2002 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 46 (8) ◽

pp. 2420-2426 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

Karl V. Clemons ◽

Raymond A. Sobel ◽

Paul L. Williams ◽

Demosthenes Pappagianis ◽

David A. Stevens

Keyword(s):

Spinal Cord ◽

Amphotericin B ◽

Liposomal Amphotericin ◽

White Blood Cells ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Liposomal Amphotericin B ◽

Coccidioides Immitis ◽

Lower Protein ◽

Motor Abnormalities ◽

The Brain

ABSTRACT The efficacy of intravenously administered liposomal amphotericin B (AmBisome [AmBi]) for the treatment of experimental coccidioidal meningitis was compared with those of oral fluconazole (FLC) and intravenously administered conventional amphotericin B (AMB). Male New Zealand White rabbits were infected by intracisternal inoculation of arthroconidia of Coccidioides immitis. Starting 5 days postinfection, animals received one of the following: 5% dextrose water diluent; AMB given at 1 mg/kg of body weight; AmBi given at 7.5, 15, or 22.5 mg/kg intravenously three times per week for 3 weeks; or oral FLC given at 80 mg/kg for 19 days. One week after the cessation of therapy, all survivors were euthanatized, the numbers of CFU remaining in the spinal cord and brain were determined, and histological analyses were performed. All AmBi-, FLC-, or AMB-treated animals survived and had prolonged lengths of survival compared with those for the controls (P < 0.0001). Treated groups had significantly lower numbers of white blood cells and significantly lower protein concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid compared with those for the controls (P < 0.01 to 0.0005) and had fewer clinical signs of infection (e.g., weight loss, elevated temperature, and neurological abnormalities including motor abnormalities). The mean histological scores for AmBi-treated rabbits were lower than those for FLC-treated and control rabbits (P < 0.016 and 0.0005, respectively); the scores for AMB-treated animals were lower than those for the controls (P < 0.0005) but were similar to those for FLC-treated rabbits. All regimens reduced the numbers of CFU in the brain and spinal cord compared with those for the controls (P ≤0.0005). AmBi-treated animals had 3- to 11-fold lower numbers of CFU than FLC-treated rabbits and 6- to 35-fold lower numbers of CFU than AmB-treated rabbits. Three of eight animals given 15 mg of AmBi per kg had no detectable infection in either tissue, whereas other doses of AmBi or FLC cleared either the brain or the spinal cord of infection in fewer rabbits. In addition, clearance of the infection from both tissues was achieved in none of the rabbits, and neither tissue was cleared of infection in AMB-treated animals. Overall, these data indicate that intravenously administered AmBi is superior to oral FLC or intravenous AMB and that FLC is better than AMB against experimental coccidioidal meningitis. These data indicate that AmBi may offer an improvement in the treatment of coccidioidal meningitis. Additional studies are warranted.

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