SYSTEMIC BLASTOMYCOSIS TREATED WITH STILBAMIDINE

Abstract

Generalized North American blastomycosis is generally a fatal disease. Iodine or x-ray therapy may cause a temporary recession of the lesion. In 1945 Elson¹ reported that certain of the diamidines exerted a fungistatic effect on Blastomyces dermatitidis in vitro. This observation had been noted and discussed by one of us² in a review on the pharmacology, mode of action, and therapeutic possibilities of the aromatic diamidines. When the patient suffering from systemic blastomycosis, whose case history will subsequently be described, was admitted to the Veterans Administration Hospital at Ft. Howard, Md., it was deemed advisable to treat him with two of the diamidines. REPORT OF A CASE A 33-yr.-old Indian was admitted to another hospital on July 15, 1950. He complained of difficulty in swallowing for about one year. Dysphagia had been so severe during the previous five months that he had lost about 40 lb. (18.1 kg.)