PERINATAL BLASTOMYCOSIS: THE REST OF THE STORY

In 1992 we presented the case of TS, an 18-day-old male admitted to Arkansas Children's Hospital for pulmonary blastomycosis. This neonate eventually died of the overwhelming pulmonary disease. During an interview at the time of her son's illness, the mother described cutaneous lesions consistent with disseminated Blastomyces dermatitidis on her skin starting at 6 weeks of gestation. Most of the lesions were transient so that by delivery only one lesion was present over the right lower tibia. The lesion was extremely painful and demonstrated an exuberant periosteal reaction on a roentgenogram. During her son's prolonged hospitalization she refused all therapy for herself despite lengthy counseling.