Skin symptoms occur in about 80% of people whose blastomycosis infection spreads beyond their lung.
- They may look like warts or ulcers.
- They are usually painless.
- They may vary from gray to violet in color.
The pustules may:
- Form ulcers
- Bleed easily
- Occur in the nose or mouth
Over time, these skin lesions can lead to scarring and loss of skin color (pigment).
Signs and tests
The infection is diagnosed by identifying the fungus in a culture taken from a skin lesion. This usually requires a
Images
Review Date: 09/15/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of
General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington
School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in
Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Assistant in Medicine, Division
of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts
General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical
Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
