Fulminant blastomycosis with blastomycotic infection of a cerebral glioma

Abstract

Except for isolated case reports, blastomycosis has not been identified as a significant problem in immunosuppressed patients. We describe an unusual case with blastomycotic infection of a cerebral glioma in a 56-year-old man who underwent radiotherapy for his tumor and died of fulminant blastomycotic pneumonia. This is believed to be the first reported case of Blastomyces dermatitidis infection of a cerebral glioma. The light microscopic and ultrastructural features of B. dermatitidis, the giant forms of which were encountered in our patient, are described, and thr role of immunosuppression due to steroid therapy in the pathogenesis of this fulminant infection are reviewed.