Blastomycotic hand infections.

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Case Reports

Background:

• Blastomycosis is a systemic fungal infection caused by *Blastomyces dermatitidis*.
• It typically affects the lungs but can disseminate to other organs.
• Risk factors include geographic location and immunocompromise, though cases in immunocompetent individuals occur.

Observation:

• Two cases of disseminated blastomycosis involving the hand are presented.
• Patients lacked typical or identifiable risk factors for the infection.
• The hand involvement was a prominent feature in both cases.

Findings:

• Disseminated blastomycosis can manifest with unusual cutaneous or deep tissue involvement, such as in the hand.
• The absence of clear risk factors in some patients complicates early diagnosis.
• Prompt recognition and treatment are crucial for favorable outcomes.

Implications:

• These cases expand the spectrum of clinical presentations for blastomycosis.
• Clinicians should consider blastomycosis in the differential diagnosis of hand infections, even without apparent risk factors.
• Further research may elucidate less common routes of transmission or host susceptibility factors.