<unk>  causes a disease known as paracoccidioidomycosis characterized by slow, progressive granulomatous changes in the head mucosa, notably the nose and sinuses or the skin. Uncommonly, the disease affects the lymphatic system, the central nervous system, the gastrointestinal tract, or the skeletal system. Due to the high proportion of cases affecting the oral mucosa, these tissues were originally thought to be the primary route of entry of fungus. However, strong evidence now indicates the respiratory tract is the chief point of entry and<unk>  lung lesions occur in nearly a third of progressive cases. The disease is not contagious. Paracoccidioidomycosis is more frequently seen in adult males than females. The hormone estrogen is thought to inhibit the transformation of the mycelial to the yeast form, as supported by in vitro experimental data, and this factor may account for the relative resistance of women to infection.
Paracoccidioides brasiliensis
Cryptococcus neoformans
Aspergillus tubingensis
Cryptococcus gattii
Paracoccidioides lutzii
Mycobacterium orygis
Mycoplasma incognitus
Pythium insidiosum