Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

L Ajello

Publications and source records attributed to L Ajello.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources
PubMed1966

Medium for selective isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans.

A medium has been developed that permits the selective recovery of Cryptococcus neoformans from heavily contaminated materials. It employs creatinine as a nitrogen source, diphenyl (C(6)H(5)C(6)H(5)) and chloramphenicol as mold and bacterial inhibitors, and Guizotia abyssinica seed extract as a specific color marker. The medium has proved to be effective in the direct isolation of Cryptococcus neoformans from pigeon nests and from the air.

Biphenyl Compounds↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Adrenal bilateral incidentaloma by reactivated histoplasmosis.

We report a case of bilateral adrenal incidentaloma caused by the capsulatum variety of Histoplasma capsulatum diagnosed in a 74 years old man born in and a life time resident of Treviso, Italy, with the exception of two years spent in Pakistan (1964-1966) as a well-driller. The patient was hospitalized in 1995 for alcoholic chronic hepatitis, chronic Helicobacter pylori gastritis and post-infarction ischemic cardiomyopathy. Abdominal ultrasound incidentally showed bilateral adrenal masses (the right one 6.3 cm in diameter) confirmed by computed tomography, with adrenal function within normal limits. After three months, the patient was again hospitalized due to evening fever, asthenia, anorexia, weight loss and occasional hyperhidrosis. Abdominal ultrasound showed an increase of the right adrenal lesion with normal adrenal function. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration did not prove useful for diagnosis. Accordingly, a laparotomy with bilateral biopsy was performed; histology showed the presence of numerous tissue form cells of H. capsulatum variety capsulatum. Serum anti-H. capsulatum antibodies were negative. Since March, 1996, the patient was given itraconazole and his symptoms quickly regressed but the computed tomography findings, however, have not changed and the patient has adrenal hypofunction that is being treated with cortisone acetate.

Adrenal Gland Diseases↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Decontamination of a Histoplasma capsulatum-infested bird roost in Illinois.

Histoplasma capsulatum was isolated from 27 of 34 soil specimens collected from a 3.23-hectare (8-acr) estate in illinois that had been the site of a bird roost for more than 10 yr. When the estate was sold to a developer for for the construction of a shopping center, it was feared that disturbing the roost would cause airborne transmission of spores of H. Capsulatum and thus create a public health hazard for the workmen and surrounding community. To prevent this, the bird roost was decontaminated with the application of 3,785 ml (1 gallon) of 3% formalin per square foot of soil. Safety precautions were taken to minimize the inhalation of dust and formalin by the decontamination team. Thirty-five soil specimens collected after application of the formalin were negative for H. capsulatum. No cases of histoplasmosis occurred among the decontamination workers, construction crews, or the general population. The total cost of the decontamination project was $75,000.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Rhinosporidiosis: a description of an unprecedented outbreak in captive swans (Cygnus spp.) and a proposal for revision of the ontogenic nomenclature of Rhinosporidium seeberi.

Rhinosporidiosis is a mucocutaneous zooanthroponotic disease caused by Rhinosporidium seeberi, a fungal-like organism of uncertain classification with an unknown mode of transmission. Over a 3 year period, 41 captive swans (Cygnus olor and C. atratus) developed conjunctival and cutaneous polypoid lesions diagnosed as rhinosporidiosis by histopathological examination including light and electron microscopy. Investigation of this avian outbreak, the first of its kind, provides additional insight into the epidemiology of this enigmatic aetiologic agent, which has yet to be isolated and cultivated in vitro. The occurrence of rhinosporidiosis in swans supports an aquatic environment as the reservoir for R. seeberi, which is often associated with exposure to water. We report the first known occurrence of rhinosporidiosis in 41 captive mute (C. olor) and Australian black (C. atratus) swans dwelling on a lake in a Central Florida city. Additionally, we review the development stages of R. seeberi and propose a revision in its ontogenic nomenclature to reflect its probable taxonomic classification as a member of the kingdom Fungi.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Comparison of species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of aerobic actinomycetes from clinical specimens.

To compare the species distribution and antimicrobial susceptibility of aerobic actinomycetes, we evaluated 366 isolates referred to the Centers for Disease Control from October 1985 through February 1988. We used conventional biochemical tests to identify the various species. Four species accounted for 191 (52%) of aerobic actinomycete isolates: Nocardia asteroides (98 isolates), Actinomadura madurae (42 isolates), Streptomyces griseus (28 isolates), and Nocardia brasiliensis (23 isolates). Sputum and wounds were the most common sources. No isolate was resistant to amikacin, no N. brasiliensis isolate was resistant to sulfamethoxazole or trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and no A. madurae isolate was resistant to ceftriaxone or imipenem. In summary, our findings show that unusual species of aerobic actinomycetes can cause infection, colonization, or both and that antimicrobial resistance varies markedly by species.

Actinomycetales↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Infections due to Wangiella dermatitidis in humans: report of the first documented case from the United States and a review of the literature.

Wangiella dermatitidis, a normally saprophytic dematiaceous fungus, has rarely been reported as a cause of disease in humans. A review of the worldwide literature yielded eight validly documented cases of W. dermatitidis infections. Reported herein is a subcutaneous knee infection due to W. dermatitidis in a diabetic man with impaired T-cell function and cutaneous anergy. Repeated cultures of the lesion were positive for W. dermatitidis despite therapy with amphotericin B. It is believed that this represents the first well-documented case of infection due to W. dermatitidis in North America, although the fungus has previously been isolated from nature in several states. The current state of knowledge of this organism, based on previously reported cases and isolations from nature, are discussed. No curative medical therapy is known for this infection, but surgical excision seems to be the treatment of choice for circumscribed W. dermatitidis infections.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical and mycological spectra of Wangiella dermatitidis infections.

The article reviews 37 cases of phaeohyphomycosis from the world literature up to 1992 accepted as being caused by Wangiella dermatitidis. The various clinical aspects of these infections are characterized, and the nomenclatural implications in the history of this emerging pathogen are discussed.

Exophiala↗