Many infectious and cancerous conditions can cause peritoneal nodules with ascites and lymphadenopathy. Remember not to leave disseminated coccidioidomycosis in the dust when in an endemic area like Arizona. Clinicians can make the diagnosis by culture, histopathology showing characteristic spherules, serology, or a combination of these assessments. HIV testing, which was done in this case, is reasonable in an otherwise healthy patient, as disseminated coccidioidomycosis is more commonly associated with immunosuppressed conditions. Thankfully, the patient’s HIV testing was negative. Don’t let the rare presentation of disseminated coccidioidomycosis run circles around you. This review article can help.
Comment
Many infectious and cancerous conditions can cause peritoneal nodules with ascites and lymphadenopathy. Remember not to leave disseminated coccidioidomycosis in the dust when in an endemic area like Arizona. Clinicians can make the diagnosis by culture, histopathology showing characteristic spherules, serology, or a combination of these assessments. HIV testing, which was done in this case, is reasonable in an otherwise healthy patient, as disseminated coccidioidomycosis is more commonly associated with immunosuppressed conditions. Thankfully, the patient’s HIV testing was negative. Don’t let the rare presentation of disseminated coccidioidomycosis run circles around you. This review article can help.