Exposure to fungal spores can cause a host of complications, including Allergic bronchial asthma (due to Aspergillus species, Candida species), Allergic bronchopulmonary mycoses (due to Aspergillus species, Candida species), and Bronchocentric granulomatosis (such as necrotizing granulomatous replacement and eosinophilic infiltration of bronchial mucosa due to exposure to spores of Aspergillus species).

Fungal Pneumonia Risk Factors:

Persons at a high risk of developing fungal pneumonia (endemic fungal pneumonias) include: Malt workers (Malt-worker lung), Farmers exposed to bird, bat, and rodent droppings (farmer's lung), and Persons living in or with a history of travel to areas containing endemic mycoses.

Laboratory personnel working with C immitis fungus are also considered to be at high risk of developing fungal pneumonia. Individuals with a history of Acute leukemia, Acute lymphoma, AIDS, Bone marrow transplantation, Congenital immunodeficiency, Extended corticosteroid therapy, Immunosuppressive treatment, or Myeloablative chemotherapy.

Signs and Symptoms of Fungal Pneumonia:

Physical symptoms of fungal pneumonia infections may include evidence of: Allergic reaction, Arthralgia, Bloodstream and bone marrow involvement (sepsis syndrome), Chest pain, CNS complications, Dyspnea, Erythema multiforme, Erythema nodosum, Hemoptysis, High fever unresponsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics, Involvement of eyes (endophthalmitis), Involvement of sinuses, Meningitis, Mental status change, Muscular complications, Nasal passage complications, Nonproductive cough, Pericarditis, Persistent fever, Pleural rubbing, Pulmonary consolidation, Respiratory distress, Rheumatologic findings, Rheumatologic syndromes, Skin abscesses, Skin papules, Skin plaques, Skin pustules, Skin ulcers, and Tachycardia. Immunocompromised (patients with AIDS) may also demonstrate signs of Meningoencephalitis complications,

Diagnosis of Fungal Pneumonia:

Diagnosis of fungal pnuemonias may include many tests including: Blood culture, CBC count, Potassium chloride stain, Sputum analysis, and Total WBC count. Chest radiographs (chest x-rays, CT scans, and MRIs) are also found to be suggestive of Cavitation, Consolidation, Lung nodules, Patchy infiltrate, or Pleural effusion. Most fungal pneumonia patients also undergo fiberoptic bronchoscopy procedure for collection of: bronchial lavage specimens, transbronchial biopsies, and transthoracic fine-needle aspiration of lung nodules. Diagnostic procedures such as a lumbar spinal tap (if cryptococcosis or CNS symptomatology is suspected), and Bone marrow aspiration may also be considered. In some rare cases involving invasive fungal infections caused by Aspergillus or Candida speices, an open lung biopsy may also be required.

Treatment for Fungal Pneumonia:

Most mild episodes of endemic mycoses resolve spontaneously without requiring any treatment. If not uncommon for immunosuppressive drugs and steroids to be tapered off to help fight fungal infections. Depending upon the species involved, anti-fungal drug therapy using medicines such as: Amphotericin B, Fluconazole, Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, and Rifampicin. The type of anti-gungal drug therapy prescribed for a patient diagnosed with fungal pneumonia depends on the spieces involved. It is not uncommon, however, for almost all patients diagnosed with aspergillosis, blastomycosis, coccidioidomycosis, cryptococcosis, histoplasmosis, mucormycosis, paracoccidioidomycosis, sporotrichosis, systemic candidiasis, or zygomycosis disease to receive amphotericin B antigungal drug therapy.

Fungal Pneumonia Prognosis:

Prognosis of a person diagnosed with fungal pneumonia largely depends upon the severity of the underlying disease, as well as on the overall status (recovery) of that patient's immune system. Immunosupporessed patients diagnosed with fungal pneumonias usually have a relatively low survival rate. For example, even though a great majority (approximately 75%) of patients recover from fungal pneumonia with proper treament, only about 30% of AIDS patients fully recover from coccidioidomycosis fungal infection caused by Coccidioides immitis. The survival rate for the patients who do not receive any antifungal threapy could be as low as 20%.

Additional pneumonia related information is available at this site at: Bacterial Pneumonia, Fungal Pneumonia, and Viral Pneumonia.

Don't forget to check out Lung Disease News section of this website for the latest Fungal Pneumonia Treatment News and our Lung Disease Articles Library for the latest Fungal Pneumonia related Articles.

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