| Fungus | Geography | Microscopy Buzzword | Key Clinical Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Histoplasma | Ohio/Mississippi River Valleys (Bird/bat droppings) | Small yeast within Macrophages | - Pneumonia w/ hilar LAD - Disseminated in immunocompromised (pancytopenia, oral ulcers) |
| Blastomyces | Eastern/Central US (Soil/wood) | Large, Broad-Based Budding yeast | - Pneumonia - Disseminated: Skin (verrucous lesions) & Bone (osteomyelitis) |
| Coccidioides | Southwestern US (Dust inhalation) | Spherule with endospores (Larger than RBC) | - “Valley Fever” (flu-like) - Erythema nodosum - Can cause meningitis |
| Paracoccidioides | Latin America | ”Captain’s Wheel” budding yeast | - Pulmonary disease - Mucocutaneous ulcers (oral/nasal) |