Abstract
Seven young men developed similar manifestations of disseminated candidiasis after a single episode of intravenous heroin abuse. Sequential development of lesions of the eye, skin, and bone or costal cartilage was noted within 10 days after injection. Skin lesions were confined to the scalp and other hair bearing areas. Candida albicans was cultured readily from affected skin and costal cartilage. Histological examination of scalp biopsy specimens showed infiltration of hair follicles with chronic inflammatory cells and C albicans. Pseudohyphas of C albicans were also identified in and around hair shafts. The skin, skeletal, and small eye lesions resolved on systemic treatment with 1 g amphotericin B plus flucytosine. Pars plana vitrectomy plus local instillation of amphotericin B cured progressive chorioretinitis. These features may represent a distinctive syndrome of disseminated candidiasis in heroin abusers. Systemic antifungal treatment is curative in most cases.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Drouhet E., Dupont B. Laboratory and clinical assessment of ketoconazole in deep-seated mycoses. Am J Med. 1983 Jan 24;74(1B):30–47. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(83)90512-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Edwards J. E., Jr, Lehrer R. I., Stiehm E. R., Fischer T. J., Young L. S. Severe candidal infections: clinical perspective, immune defense mechanisms, and current concepts of therapy. Ann Intern Med. 1978 Jul;89(1):91–106. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-89-1-91. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Ho P. C., O'Day D. M. Candida endophthalmitis and infection of costal cartilages. Br J Ophthalmol. 1981 May;65(5):333–334. doi: 10.1136/bjo.65.5.333. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Horne M. J., Taylor R. F., Williams R., Zylstra W. Candida endophthalmitis. Med J Aust. 1975 Feb 8;1(6):170–172. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1975.tb111307.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Tarr K. H. Candida endophthalmitis and drug abuse. Aust J Ophthalmol. 1980 Nov;8(4):303–305. doi: 10.1111/j.1442-9071.1980.tb00286.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]