An autochthonous case of paracoccidioidomycosis in a new area of Ceara State, Northeastern Brazil

The largest endemic areas of paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) in Brazil comprise the humid agricultural regions of the Southeast, South, and, recently, the Midwest and North regions. The Ceara State, located in the Brazilian Northeast region, presents semi-arid climate in most of its territory, characterized by high temperatures, scarce vegetation and low humidity. The objective of the present study was to describe a new autochthonous case of paracoccidioidomycosis from a distinct area of Ceara and review the characteristics of PCM occurrence in Northeastern Brazil. The patient was a 65-year-old male farmer who denied traveling outside the Ceara State or living in other locations. He was born and lived in the rural area known as Camara, bordering the municipalities of Itapaje and Itapipoca. Camara is one of the highest areas (around 720 m of altitude) of the Uruburetama mountains that exhibits tropical forests and is located in Northern Ceara, distant 139 km from the capital, Fortaleza. The patient sought for care, complaining of an oral lesion that appeared over the past three years. The hard palate lesion biopsy revealed multinucleated cells with cytoplasmic inclusions, compatible with PCM. After culture, P. brasiliensis was identified by polymerase chain reaction. Serological testing for PCM was reagent. The patient was treated with itraconazole for approximately 17 months, persisting free of symptoms after 15 months of follow-up. Regarding this new autochthonous case in the Ceara State, PCM should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with suggestive clinical manifestations, proceeding from the mountainous areas of Ceara.