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A Case of Chronic Cough in a Winemaker
Ernesto Viteri1, Nathalie Foray1, Mingchen Song1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, PO Box 19636, Springfield, IL 62794, USA.
Respiratory Medicine Case Reports
|April 11, 2017
Summary
A rare case of chronic cough linked to Saccharomyces cerevisiae exposure is presented. Eliminating home winemaking, the source of the fungus, resolved the patient's persistent cough.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Mycology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Fungal respiratory infections encompass asthma, allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis, and invasive diseases.
- Recent research links specific fungi to chronic cough syndromes lacking asthmatic features.
Observation:
- A 59-year-old male presented with chronic nonproductive cough.
- Sputum cultures revealed Saccharomyces cerevisiae, with elevated IgA and IgG levels.
- Symptoms improved upon cessation of home winemaking, a potential exposure source.
Findings:
- This case highlights Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a cause of non-asthmatic chronic cough.
- The patient experienced symptom resolution after removing the fungal exposure source.
Implications:
- This report is the first outside Japan linking fungi to non-asthmatic chronic cough.
- It suggests environmental fungal exposures, like home winemaking, can trigger chronic cough without asthma.
- Further research into non-allergic fungal-mediated respiratory conditions is warranted.