Mycology/Parasitology USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 9-year-old boy from Nigeria with sickle cell disease presents with fever (38.9°C), productive cough, and pleuritic chest pain. Vital signs show HR 112, RR 24, BP 105/68, SpO2 94% on room air. Chest X-ray reveals a thin-walled cavitary lesion in the right upper lobe. Blood cultures grow a dimorphic fungus converting to mold at room temperature. Sputum smear is negative for acid-fast bacilli. Which of the following is most likely?
Answer choices
- AHistoplasma capsulatumCorrect answer
- BBlastomyces dermatitidis
- CAspergillus fumigatus
- DCryptococcus neoformans
- ECoccidioides immitis
- FParacoccidioides brasiliensis
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