Prostatic paracoccidioidomycosis: differential diagnosis of prostate cancer

Abstract

Symptomatic prostatic paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a very rare condition; however, it may express as a typical benign prostatic hyperplasia or a simulating prostatic adenocarcinoma. This case report presents PCM mimicking prostatic adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this paper is to call the general physician's attention to this important differential diagnosis.

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Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 104(1): 33-36, February 2009
online | memorias.ioc.fiocruz.br
Prostatic paracoccidioidomycosis: differential diagnosis
of prostate cancer
Daniel Lima Lopes1, Stanley de Almeida Araújo2/+, João Paulo Lemos da Silveira Santos2,
Ana Claudia Lyon2, Diogo Vieira Dantas2, Bernardo Sgarbi Reis3, Alfredo Miranda de Góes3,
Ênio Roberto Pietra Pedroso2
1Hospital do Instituto de Previdência dos Servidores do Estado de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil 3Departamento de
Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas 2Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais,
Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil
Symptomatic prostatic paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is a very rare condition; however, it may express as a
typical benign prostatic hyperplasia or a simulating prostatic adenocarcinoma. This case report presents PCM
mimicking prostatic adenocarcinoma. The purpose of this paper is to call the general physician’s attention to this
important differential diagnosis.
Key words: Paracoccidioides brasiliensis - paracoccidioidomycosis - prostatitis - prostate cancer
Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM) is an important deep
mycosis in Latin America. It is caused by the dimorphic
fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, whose spores enter
the body via the respiratory tract and evolve either asymp-
tomatically or in a sub-acute or chronic manner. The para-
site is able to provoke several clinical presentations due to
its capacity to disseminate itself from the lungs through
the lymphatic system or via the blood stream to any organ
or system. PCM mainly affects adult males, preferentially
in the lu ngs, mucosa, skin a nd phagocy tic-monocytic sys-
tem (Paniago et al. 2003, Prado et al. 2005). On a smaller
scale, it reaches the nervous, musculoskeletal and supra-
renal systems (Paniago et al. 2003). Its clinical incidence
in the urinary tract, especially in prostatic injuries, is not
well known. In a few necropsy studies involving dissemi-
nated PCM cases, its incidence varies from 2.7-9% (Sal-
felder et al. 1969, Begliomini et al. 1993).
Prostatic diseases have become more common due to
the increase in the population’s age. Generally, they appear
in males over 40-years-old, being more often bacterial and
viral infections, benign hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma.
Prostatic adenocarcinoma is the most fearful lesion due to
its malignant and metastatic potential, and it is seen clini-
cally in 10% of cases. Its diagnosis must always be set
apart because its mortality is 3%, making it the greatest
cause of morbi-mortality among men (Crawford 2003).
Fungal prostatitis is unusual, having as its most com-
mon agents Coccidioides immitis, Candida albicans,
Aspergillus sp., Cryptococcus neoformans and Blasto-
myces dermatitidis, which mainly affect patients who
are immune-suppressed. The symptomatic attack of the
prostate by PCM has rarely been described. Its potential
severity justifies the reporting of this case.
+ Corresponding autor: stanleyaa@gmail.com
Received 3 September 2008
Accepted 21 January 2009
In this paper, infection of the prostate by P. brasi-
liensis is described, mimicking cancer with urethral ob-
struction and urgent expansion of the bladder.
Case study
AAF, a 54-year-old married rural worker who was
born in and is a current resident of São Sebastião do Ma-
ranhão, Minas Gerais, Brazil, presented in December
2003 with palate stomatitis associated with dysphagia
and odynophagia. A biopsy of this injury revealed P.
brasiliensis. He was treated with Sulfametoxazol (800
mg) and Trimethoprim (160 mg) daily in an irregular
way for 20 months. In December 2004, he started to
complain of dysuria, polyuria and urinary urgency and
frequency, which culminated after one year in prompt
urinary retention. Concomitantly, a stomatitis with
moriforme injury of the palate appeared.
A digital rectal exam revealed an increased prostate
volume, induration, precise limits and a nodule on the
right lobe. It was thought to be prostate cancer. His PSA
level was measured at 0.563 ng/mL and transrectal ul-
trasonography demonstrated a prostrate with irregular
contours, with peripheral zones containing hypoechoic
areas with heterogenic texture (Fig. 1). There was a volu-
metric increasing of the gland, which weighed 57.9 g.
The prostatic biopsy revealed a diffuse chronic granu-
lomatous inf lammatory process showing epithelial and
multinucleated giant cells, neutrophils and eosinophils
involving the P. brasiliensis (Fig. 2 A, B).
A complete blood count showed a total counting of
leukocytes of 12,940/mm3 (neutrophils 9,614/mm3, lym-
ph ocy te 2,0 57/m m3, eosinophils 349/mm3, basophils 116/
mm3, monocytes 660/mm3). The urine exam revealed
hemoglobin +/4+, urobilinogen 0.2 mg/dL, leukocytes
+/4+, piocytes 20/field, red blood cells 10/field, bacterian
microbiota +++/4+, rare grouped piocytes and the pres-
ence of renal epithelium. Gram staining did not reveal
any bacteria and serum biochemistry did not show any
abnormalities. A chest X-ray showed localized micro-re-

Prostatic paracoccidioidomycosis • Daniel Lima Lopes et al.
34
ticulo-nodule alterations, mainly on the hilum and in the
pulmonar basis bilaterally. Abdominal ultrasonography
did not show any alteration and the other urinary organs
were apparently normal.
C ol le ct e d b lo od s am pl es we r e p os it i ve in a nt i- P. br a si l-
iensis serologic t ests u sing the antigens PB28, Pbgp43 and
membrane and extracellular antigens (MEXO) (Fig. 3).
The initial treatment was done with Itraconazol (100
mg per day), which was replaced after 10 days with Sul-
fametoxazol (800 mg) and Trimetoprim (160 mg every
12 h) because the former was not available at public
health care centres in Brazil. After six months, the pa-
tient was asymptomatic and without deficits or clinical
or radiological residual injuries. The total PSA level re-
mained low despite the intense inflammation (Fig. 4).
After one year of ambulatory observation, there
was no recurrence of the infection or side effects from
the treatment.
Fig. 1: prostatic transrectal ultra-sound. Prostate with regular contours
and precise borders. The peripheric zones present hypoechoic areas
with heterogenic textures. Prostrate mesures: longitudinal: 57.0 mm;
anti-posterior: 39.6 mm; transverse: 46.6 m m; prostatic weig h: 57.9 g.
Data compatible with the general volumetr ic increasing of the prostate.
Fig. 2: biopsy by t hin needle of prostatic t issue. A (Grocott): many
yeast s in the tissue. I n detail, yea st w ith multiple sprouti ng (400X):
B (H E): chronical granulomatosis inflamator y process, epitheliod-
cells and mu ltinucleus gia nt cells involving parasite s (100X).
Fig. 3: serum tested by en zyme-lin ked immunosorbent assays results
for the extracelular antigens and membranes, PB28 and Pbgp43, made
in the acute fase of patient’s disease.
Fig. 4: total prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) serum variation after one
year of medical following.
DISCUSSION
We report this case due to the rare presentation of
PCM in the prostate, which may be a serious sympto-
matic condition if untreated and due to the importance of
the differential diagnosis with prostate adenocarcinoma,
which is a very severe disease, with lethality and me-

35
Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Vol. 104(1), February 2009
tastatic potential whose possibility of treatment is only
surgical. Depending on the extension of the neoplastic
tissue and on the chosen technique, prostatectomy may
lead to minor or serious complications such as erectile
problems urinary incontinence and damage to the ure-
thra or rectum (Wilt & Brawer 1999). Thus, a proper
histopathological exam may demonstrate an infectious
prostatitis and avoid an unnecessary surgical interven-
tion and its related risks.
PCM has special importance in Latin America, where
it is endemic among infecto-parasitarian diseases due to
the severity and the peculiarity of some of its clinical
forms. This infection is not commonly isolated in the
urogenital tract. PCM in the prostate is not considered
a primary disease, affecting only 1.59% of patients in
the disseminated form (Brito & Caprini 1959, Ciconelli
et al. 1969, Begliomini et al. 1993). All of the urogeni-
tal tract may be affected by the disease, including the
epididymis, testicles, prostate, ureters, penis, urethra
and kidneys. The first case of prostatic involvement was
described by Brito and Caprini (1959); since then, only
a few other cases have been described (Melo et al. 1992,
Severo et al. 2000).
Because of the general symptoms, the diagnosis of
PCM is frequently done later than expected. Patients
with prostatic involvement may present obstruction
symptoms of the lower urinary tract.
Cancer and chronic inflammation always constitute
the differential diagnosis for complaints related to pros-
tatic disease symptoms.
When the prostate is involved in PCM infection,
differential diagnosis with cancer is difficult due to
the variety of damage and absence of specific signs.
The diagnosis of prostatic injuries is suggested by the
clinical aspects, but it often requires confirmation by a
histopathological exam. A biopsy is mandatory due to
the necessity for cancer exclusion (Stillwell et al. 1987).
Differential diagnosis for PCM of the prostate is divided
into specific, caused by bacteria (Treponema pallidum,
Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Brucella sp.), fungi (Can-
dida sp., Aspergillus sp., C. neoformans, Histoplasma
capsulatum, Actinomyces sp., B. dermatitidis and C.
immitis), viruses or parasites, and non-specific, derived
from xantogranulomatousis, allergies, post-TURP or
post-biopsies.
Granulomatous prostatitis is a rare disease that fre-
quently simulates the development of prostatic carcinoma
due to the formation of nodules and the increase of the
gland by rectal touch (Stillwell et al. 1987, Begliomini
et al. 1993). A histopathological exam of the granulo-
matous prostatitis, however, showed infiltrated lympho-
plasmocyte, pseudotubercules, epithelioidic cells and
the absence of signs of atypical cellular proliferation,
which characterize the neoplasia. In coccidioidomico-
sis and North American blastomicosis, the involvement
of the genitourinary tract is frequent, being common in
prostatic attack in the disseminated form (Brito &
Caprini 1959, Stewart 1964, Eickenberg et al. 1975).
There have been a few cases of transmission of B. der-
matitidis from men with prostatic involvement to their
female sexual partner (Faber et al. 1968). PCM has no
record of inter-human transmission despite its potential
for sexual transfer by contaminated prostatic secretion.
Tuberculosis or other mycotic diseases that affect
the genitourinary tract are other important differential
diagnoses and the microbiologic study of urine and cul-
tures are fundamental for its discernment (Stillwell et
al. 1987). Since P. brasiliensis is not coloured by Gram
stain, its diagnosis may not be noticed in routine exams.
Induration of the prostate may persist upon physi-
cal examination for years and scarring and fibrosis have
been observed in a third of the patients (Paniago et al.
2003). The case described here presented sexual dys-
function after the treatment and the effects tobacco use,
aging process and adverse effect of the treatment with
Sulfametoxazol-Trimetoprim or Ketoconazole, which
were concomitant conditions in this case, could be po-
tential factors, in addition to prostate fibrosis induced by
PCM (Brito & Carpini 1959).
There is no report of alterations in serum levels of
the prostatic-specific antigen PSA during the treatment.
In granulomatous prostatitis, both increasing and de-
creasing serum levels of PSA may be observed. A sig-
nificant reduction in PSA, as in this case, suggests that
cytokines derived from the activated macrophages and
T-lymphocytes may have a regulatory effect on the cells’
secretions and cause the destruction of the prostatic epi-
thelia (Dhundee & Maciver 1991).
Current serum tests are highly sensitive and specific
for diagnosis and useful for the clinical follow-up of people
affected with PCM. Normal serum results are extremely
rare with evidence of the disease’s histopathology.
Serum tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent as-
says (ELISA) for the extracellular antigens and mem-
branes - MEXO - from P. brasiliensis presents a spe-
cificity of 96.6% compared to control groups and 81.2%
in relation to groups with diverse infections (Reis et al.
2005). A purified protein with a molecular weight of
28-kDa of MEXO, called Pb28, is the most specific an-
tigen in the humoral immunological response of PCM.
This protein reacts and has a specificity of 100%. It may
be used as an alternative antigen to the serum diagnos-
tic method. ELISA, either for MEXO or for Pb28, is a
strong reactor in serum analysis when collected during
the acute period of the disease (Fig. 4). However, one
glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 43 Kda, known
as Pbgp43, which is an important extracellular compo-
nent released by P. brasiliensis during its pathogenic
phase, is used in the detection of the serum antibodies in
patients with PCM and in epidemiologic studies through
the intradermal reaction (Kalmar et al. 2004). It presents
a sensitivity of 95.1% and a specificity of 97.5%. In this
case, it was reactor-moderated (Fig. 4).
Such serum data is in accordance with those reported
by Reis et al. (2005) because Pb28 has proven to be more
sensitive and specific for PCM and Pbgp43 presented ir-
regular results.
PCM is diagnosed by the identification of the yeasts
in direct exams of clinical samples (biopsy, mucous,
scratched) or cultures. The yeast has specific microscopic
aspects, including a bi-refringent wall, reproduction by

Prostatic paracoccidioidomycosis • Daniel Lima Lopes et al.
36
multiple-sprouting and originating blastospores that do
not detach from the mother cell, which gives them a unique
appearance among the pathogenic fungi (Fig. 2A).
The granuloma is formed with the objective of re-
stricting the parasite and avoiding its dissemination (Fig.
2B). Thus, the more efficient the cellular immunologic
response is the better the efficiency of the granuloma-
tos reaction and the lesser the severity of the disease.
The histopathological response of the host caused by P.
brasiliensis resembles tissue invasion by B. dermatitidis
and C. immitis.
Injuries of the oropharyngeal mucosa are frequently
observed. The most characteristic aspect is moriform ul-
cerous stomatitis.
PCM is a disease that lacks standards for cure and a
standard treatment protocol. There are no specific treat-
ments for the urogenital form. Prolonged medication is,
in many cases, necessary to prevent recurrence, which
exhausts the patient and impairs his/her adequate com-
pliance with the proposed treatment. Interruption of the
medication or irregular or inadequate use may drive the
emergence of resistance, making the problem worse and
producing several side-effects (Prado et al. 2005).
Once a diagnosis of prostatic PCM is made, a special-
ist in infectious diseases should be consulted. Finally,
the patient needs to be observed for many years for pre-
vention and occasional treatment of disease recurrence.
PCM is a systemic disease with the potential for in-
volvement of all organs and it is necessary to pay at-
tention to all complaints presented by the patients, even
those not associated with the most frequent localizations
of the disease. In South America, especially in Brazil,
prostatic PCM is an important differential diagnosis to
prostatic adenocarcinoma and can evolve into a serious
symptomatic condition if left untreated.
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