Chronic paracoccidioidomycosis in a female patient in Austria

Presented here is a case of chronic paracoccidioidomycosis that occurred in a Cuban female living in Austria and was first misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. The clinical picture was one of progressive pulmonary insufficiency with fever, weight loss and productive cough. Since antituberculous therapy was started but did not achieve a long-term clinical response, an intensive diagnostic work-up was performed. Paracoccidioides brasiliensis was then diagnosed by histopathology, serology, microbiology and molecular identification. Antifungal therapy was commenced immediately with amphotericin B (1 mg/kg/day) for 10 days, followed by voriconazole (200 mg/day po) for at least 3 months, and the lesions disappeared almost completely. This report presents the first published case of imported paracoccidioidomycosis in a female patient in Austria.