Penicillium marneffei, a dimorphic fungus is a rare opportunistic pathogen. It is known to cause infection in immunocompromised patients and recently its occurrence in AIDS patients has been well-documented. Disease with Penicillium marneffei is even rarer among previously healthy individuals. The disease is endemic in Southeast Asia and China. Recognition of this rare disease is important because it is amenable to treatment. We report a case of P. marneffei infection in a previously healthy individual.
The aim of this study was to: (1) determine the prevalence and patterns of lung dysfunction among transfusion dependent thalassemics; (2) determine the associated factors that might contribute to this problem. This was a cross-sectional study involving 66 patients with transfusion dependent thalassemia aged 10 years and above. All patients underwent physical examination, standardized pulmonary function tests including spirometry, lung volume, and the carbon monoxide diffusion capacity. A restrictive pattern of lung dysfunction was observed in 22 patients (33.3%) and none showed the presence of obstructive ventilatory impairment. A reduction in the carbon monoxide diffusion capacity (DLCO) was seen 87.9% of the patients, including 7.6% who had evidence of hypoxemia. Ten patients showed a reduction in the FEF25-75% although they did not fulfil the criteria for small airway disease. No correlation was found between lung dysfunction and serum ferritin levels in the patients. Restrictive lung dysfunction and diffusion impairment were the predominant abnormalities found in our cohort of patients.
Study site: Thalassemia clinic, Pusat Perubatan Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (PPUKM), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia