Hypersensitivity pneumonitis of a bagpipe player: Fungal antigens as trigger?

Publication date: Available online 26 March 2019Source: Medical Mycology Case ReportsAuthor(s): Katharina Ziegler, Marcus Joest, Nesrin Turan, Dirk Schmidt, Peter-Michael Rath, Joerg SteinmannAbstractHere we present a 79-year old man with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis probably caused by fungal contamination of a bagpipe. Several samples were taken from the patient's bagpipe. Four potential fungal antigens (Exophiala phaeomuriformis, Kwoniella europaea, Pyrenochaeta unguis-hominis and Aureobasidium melanogenum) as potential trigger of hypersensitivity pneumonitis were identified. A serum ELISA test with Exophiala phaeomuriformis indicated reactivity.Cessation of playing the bagpipe and application of glucocorticoids lead to an improvement of the patient's symptoms.

Source: Medical Mycology Case Reports - March 27, 2019 Category: Biology Source Type: research