Pulmonary penicillosis marneffei: report of the first imported case in Canada

A 57-year-old female, born in Laos and who had lived in Thailand prior to immigrating to Canada in 1989, was seen by her physician with a chief complaint of cough and dyspnea. Her chest X-ray showed bilateral pulmonary air fluid levels. A fungus, with a diffusible red pigment, tentatively identified as Penicillium marneffei, was isolated from the patient's bronchial washings and sputum specimens. At 37 degrees C, the fungus converted to a yeast form when cultured on brain heart infusion agar. Microscopic examination of this culture revealed yeast cells that reproduced by fission. The identity of the patient's isolate was confirmed as P. marneffei with an exoantigen test. The patient's serum demonstrated specific antibodies to P. marneffei antigen. Treatment with amphotericin B and ketoconazole resulted in clinical improvement, clearing of chest X-rays and conversion to sero-negativity. Our case is the first recorded diagnosis of imported penicillosis marneffei in Canada. The minimal inhibitory concentrations recorded for the patient's isolate to fluconazole, 5-fluorocytosine, itraconazole and miconazole were 12.5, 0.39, < 0.195 and < 0.195 micrograms/ml, respectively.