[Skin and mucous membrane manifestations of coccidioidomycosis: a study of thirty cases in the Brazilian states of Piauí and Maranhão].

BACKGROUND

Coccidioidomycosis is a systemic mycosis that usually presents as a benign infection. Patients generally recover spontaneously; however, a small proportion of infected individuals develop progressive complications that may affect the skin in the form of disseminated pleomorphic lesions and may become fatal.

OBJECTIVES

To identify and describe skin and mucous membrane manifestations of coccidioidomycosis, to identify occupational hazards associated with the disease and to determine its associated clinical presentation.

METHODS

A study conducted between 2003 and 2006 involving 30 patients from the Brazilian states of Piauí and Maranhão with coccidioidomycosis diagnosed by direct microscopy, sputum culture or screening serology using agar gel double immunodiffusion, in association with anamnesis and physical examination.

RESULTS

Extrapulmonary lesions were found in 13 cases (43.3%), consisting predominantly of dermatological manifestations of hypersensitivity: erythema nodosum (26.6%), exanthema with erythematosquamous lesions (26.6%) and erythema multiforme (23.3%), as well as ulcerations of the tongue (13.3%), lip ulcers (6.6%) and subcutaneous abscess (3.3%). These manifestations were seen during the acute phase of the disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Skin manifestations associated with an acute respiratory infection reinforce the hypothesis of a diagnosis of coccidioidomycosis, particularly in individuals who hunt armadillos or in those exposed to soil excavation.