A 42-year-old male construction worker in southern Arizona developed a cold-like illness, experiencing a chronic cough, chest pain, headaches, and general fatigue. When the symptoms did not abate after several weeks, he visited his physician who ordered microscopic examination and culture of his sputum specimen. Direct microscopic exam demonstrated the presence of large spherule structures full of endsospores. The specimen was cultured at both 25oC and 37oC. The plate incubated at 25oC grew tan colonies with a fluffy white center. Examination of these colonies microscopically showed branching septate hyphae. As the culture matured, the hyphae fragmented into arthrospores. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A. Candidiasis
B. Sporotrichosis
C. Coccidioidomycosis
D. Histoplasmosis
E. Blastomycosis
Answer: C
You might also like to view...
Hydrostatic skeletons are normally used for movement by all of the following animals EXCEPT
A. annelids. B. cnidarians. C. crustaceans. D. nematodes. E. earthworms.
Protruding from the inner membrane of the mitochondria into the matrix are knoblike spheres called ________ complexes, which are attached by a short protein stalk to a(n) ________ complex. Together these complexes are referred to as the ________ complex.
Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s).
The process of the body using simple substances to build more complex substances is called:
All stages of Ixodes, the vector for Lyme disease, may feed on humans
Indicate whether the statement is true or false