Master Paracoccidioido-mycosis with Picmonic for Medicine

Paracoccidiomycosis is a disease caused by Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, which is a dimorphic fungus found in the soil as a mold in low temperatures and a yeast at higher temperatures. This disease is commonly found in Brazil. It is often referred to as a South American blastomycosis, since it is found in Latin America and causes similar disease presentation. While it has many similarities to blastomycosis, the main difference is that this fungus has multiple buds, arranged in a ship's captain wheel formation, whereas blastomycosis is a single bud. This fungus measures 40-50um in diameter, which is about 3 times the size of blastomycosis. Its clinical presentation is often asymptomatic, but may develop into pneumonia with the potential to disseminate. Azole drugs are the typical treatment.