Mycology/Parasitology USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 3-year-old girl from rural Brazil presents with fever (38.5°C), difficulty swallowing, and painful ulcerated lesions in the oral mucosa. Physical examination reveals cervical lymphadenopathy and mild trismus. Oral biopsy demonstrates round, thick-walled organisms with multiple budding yeast and granulomatous inflammation. Chest radiograph shows no pulmonary involvement. She denies recent antifungal medication use. Which organism is most likely responsible for this presentation?
Answer choices
- ACandida albicans
- BBlastomyces dermatitidis
- CHistoplasma capsulatum
- DParacoccidioides brasiliensisCorrect answer
- ECryptococcus neoformans
- FCoccidioides immitis
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