Pulmonary and radiological studies in 58 paracoccidioidomycosis patients

Abstract

Spirometric and haemogasimetric tests were performed in 52 patients with unifocal and multi-focal progressive Paracoccidioidomycosis pulmonary diseases, in 5 patients with juvenil and 1 female internal genital forms. The age ranged from 20 to 74 years old and the duration of disease from 3 to 25 years. Dyspnea, cough, tegumentar and lymphatic manifestations were the most predominant signs observed. Fourteen of them was developed Cor pulmonale. Impaired renal function was recorded in 19 patients, cardiac symptons were described in 7 and hyporeactor adrenal activity was showed in 13 patients. Radiological studies demonstrated mild in 16, moderate in 24 and severe pulmonary lesions types in 18 patients. The pulmonary function revealed: normal spyrographic findings in 17, pure obstructive type in 32 and mixed form in 9 of them. Hyperventilation was described in 54 individues and all of them showed an increasing of the alveole-arterial difference. Pa02 less than 80 mm/Hg observed in 36 of them. Statistical analysis demonstrated significative association between clinical evolution and radiological interpretation. Similar data were obtained in radiology evaluations, clinical evolutive studies and pulmonary functions described in these patients. The granulomatous reaction due to Paracoccidioidomycosis, in heavy smokers patients, gave origin to the alterations in small airways predisposing the interalveolar dissemination an impaired alveole-arterial diffusion.