Diagnosis and treatment of diffusible Penicillium marneffei in human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients: A challenge for the physician.

Penicillium marneffei infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative patients is addressed far less often. In this article, a small cohort of HIV-negative patients who disseminated P. marneffei infection was included. Sites of infection were found from blood culture, as subcutaneous nodules, or from lymph node biopsy. Fever, rash, swollen lymph nodes, anaemia and weight loss were common characteristics in most infected patients. The signs and symptoms are diverse and create challenges for accurate diagnosis. This paper will assist our understanding of this disease and contribute to an appropriate regime of therapy, thus improving the health of P. marneffei-positive patients.