Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Fungal Infections
Number of Conditions: 6
Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)
Specialty: Pulmonology
Category: Infectious Diseases of the Respiratory System
Sub-category: Fungal Infections
Symptoms:
fever; cough; fatigue; chest pain; shortness of breath; rash; headache; joint pain
Root Cause:
Caused by inhaling spores of Coccidioides species, fungi found in desert soils in the southwestern United States and parts of Mexico and Central and South America.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests for antibodies, antigen detection, fungal cultures, imaging (chest X-ray or CT scan), or biopsy of affected tissues.
Treatment:
Mild cases often resolve without treatment; antifungal therapy is required for severe or chronic cases.
Medications:
Fluconazole or itraconazole (triazole antifungals) for most cases; amphotericin B (a polyene antifungal) for severe or disseminated infections.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Endemic to arid regions; affects tens of thousands annually in the U.S., particularly in Arizona and California.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Living in or traveling to endemic areas, occupational exposure to dust, pregnancy, and immune suppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good for acute cases; chronic or disseminated infections may require long-term treatment and carry a risk of complications.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic pulmonary disease, disseminated infection affecting bones, skin, or meninges, and severe respiratory distress.
Oral Thrush (Candidiasis)
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Oral Cavity and Mucosal Disorders
Sub-category: Fungal Infections
Symptoms:
creamy white patches on the tongue, cheeks, or throat; pain or discomfort in the mouth; loss of taste; difficulty swallowing
Root Cause:
Overgrowth of Candida species, usually Candida albicans, in the oral cavity due to an imbalance in normal flora or weakened immunity.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosed by clinical examination or scraping for fungal culture.
Treatment:
Treated with antifungals such as nystatin or fluconazole.
Medications:
Topical antifungals like nystatin or clotrimazole lozenges; systemic antifungals (fluconazole or itraconazole ) for severe cases.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in infants, older adults, and immunocompromised individuals.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Diabetes, use of inhaled corticosteroids, antibiotics, dentures, immunosuppression (e.g., HIV/AIDS).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Responds well to treatment; recurrence is possible if underlying issues are not addressed.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Esophageal candidiasis, systemic spread in immunocompromised patients.
Angular Cheilitis
Specialty: Dental and Oral Health
Category: Oral Cavity and Mucosal Disorders
Sub-category: Fungal Infections
Symptoms:
red, cracked, or crusted lesions at the corners of the mouth; pain or burning sensation; possible secondary bacterial infection
Root Cause:
Fungal (Candida) or bacterial (Staphylococcus aureus) infection, often due to saliva pooling or irritation.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosed clinically by cracks and inflammation at the mouth corners.
Treatment:
Treated with topical antifungals, antibiotics, or barrier creams, depending on the cause.
Medications:
Antifungal creams like clotrimazole or miconazole ; topical antibiotics like mupirocin if bacterial involvement is present.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common, especially in those with ill-fitting dentures, poor nutrition, or dry mouth.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Dentures, vitamin B or iron deficiency, immunosuppression, frequent lip-licking.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Resolves with treatment and elimination of contributing factors.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Persistent infection, scarring, or spread to surrounding tissues.
Lobomycosis
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
Sub-category: Fungal Infections
Symptoms:
painless nodules or plaques; warty lesions; hypopigmented or atrophic scars; ulceration in advanced cases
Root Cause:
Chronic subcutaneous infection caused by Lacazia loboi, a slow-growing fungal pathogen.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical examination, histopathology with fungal staining, and microscopic visualization of yeast cells.
Treatment:
Wide surgical excision is often necessary. Antifungal treatments like itraconazole or amphotericin B may help prevent recurrence but are not consistently effective.
Medications:
Antifungal agents like itraconazole (triazole antifungal) or amphotericin B (polyene antifungal).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Rare; reported primarily in tropical regions of South America.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Trauma in freshwater environments, poor immune function.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; recurrence is common, and untreated cases may progress slowly over years.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Disfigurement, secondary bacterial infections, and difficulty eradicating the infection completely.
Malassezia (Pityrosporum) Folliculitis
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
Sub-category: Fungal Infections
Symptoms:
itchy pustules on the chest, back, or face; redness around hair follicles; small bumps that resemble acne
Root Cause:
Overgrowth of Malassezia yeast, which thrives in oily skin or humid conditions, leading to follicular inflammation.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical diagnosis, KOH preparation, or fungal culture from affected skin.
Treatment:
Topical antifungal treatments or systemic antifungal medications for severe cases.
Medications:
Ketoconazole (topical or oral azole antifungal), fluconazole (oral azole antifungal), or selenium sulfide (topical).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in adolescents and young adults, particularly in tropical climates.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Oily skin, hot and humid climates, use of oily products, immunosuppression.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with appropriate treatment; recurrences may occur without maintenance therapy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Secondary bacterial infection or scarring if untreated.
Mycetoma
Specialty: Infectious Diseases
Category: Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections
Sub-category: Fungal Infections
Symptoms:
painless swelling of the affected area; multiple sinus tracts; drainage of pus or grains; deformity; restricted mobility in severe cases
Root Cause:
Chronic granulomatous infection caused by fungi (eumycetoma) or bacteria (actinomycetoma), often introduced through trauma.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, microscopy of grains, culture, and imaging studies (X-ray, MRI).
Treatment:
Antifungal medications for eumycetoma (e.g., itraconazole) or antibiotics for actinomycetoma; advanced cases may require surgical debridement or amputation.
Medications:
Itraconazole (antifungal for eumycetoma), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (antibiotic for actinomycetoma).
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Common in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in rural agricultural workers.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Trauma to the skin, especially in endemic areas, lack of protective footwear.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; better outcomes with early treatment, but deformities and disability can occur in advanced cases.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic disability, severe deformity, secondary bacterial infections, amputation in severe cases.