Coccidiodomycosis: A systematic review of unusual case reports

Abstract

Background: Coccidioidomycosis is caused by Coccidioides immitis, a soil fungus native to the San Joaquin Valley of California, and by C posadasii, which is endemic to certain arid-to-semiarid areas of the southwestern United States, northern portions of Mexico, and scattered areas in Central America and South America. Coccidioidomycosis is typically transmitted by inhalation of airborne spores of C immitis or C posadasii. Methodology: It is a systematic review article that included 45 case reports in Coccidioidomycosis. The data was obtained from Medline and Google scholar who was then reviewed and read carefully. The data then was analyzed by the SPSS program version 25 for frequency and percentages. Results: A total of 9 studies were selected out of 45 studies, because the others did not meet the standards and their data was incomplete. The ages of the patients in the cases ranged from 7 – 78 years. 7 of them were females and only 3 females. Their presentations were depending on the site of infection and some of them have a silent disease, especially in the lymph nodes. After treatment, all of them fully recovered except for one case of retroperitoneal dissemination which ended with death. Conclusion: Coccidioidomycosis is an infection usually caused by inhaling the spores of either Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii fungi. These spores are found in the soil in certain geographic areas like many US regions which are endemic. It can produce a variety of symptoms and manifestations depending on the site of infection but predominantly in the lungs.