Subcutaneous blastomycosis: diagnosis by fine-needle aspiration cytology

Blastomycosis is a rare disease. Fine-needle aspiration of nodules and neck masses is generally well accepted for head and neck cancer. This method has recently been used to make a rapid diagnosis of blastomycosis so that therapy could be instituted before the usual 4 to 6 week delay that is necessary for fungal cultures to mature. We believe this technique is reliable, provided the services of an experienced cytopathologist are available. The current treatment for blastomycosis is amphotericin B or ketoconazole, though newer antifungal agents hold promise for the treatment of this disease in the future.