Endemic regions of paracoccidioidomycosis in Brazil: A clinical and epidemiologic study of 584 cases in the southeast region

This paper describes the clinical-seroepidemiologic characteristics of pati ents with paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) who visited the University Hospital at the State University of Campinas (Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil). The stud y group consisted of 584 individuals (492 males and 92 females) with ages r anging from 5 to 87 years. The highest incidence of the disease occurred be tween the ages of 41 and 50 years for men and between 11 and 40 years for w omen. Rural activities were the principal occupation of 46% of the patients . The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathologic examination and demonstrat ion of fungus in scrapings, secretions, or in the sputum. Serologic test re sults for PCM were positive in 80% of the 584 patients studied. The signifi cant number of patients, including 33 children less than 14 years old, indi cates the presence of the fungus in the area and that this region is an imp ortant endemic area for PCM.