Plant root hairs are commonly found artifacts in parasitology specimens and may be confused with helminthes by an untrained eye. We report a case of brain tuberculoma where the tissue sample was contaminated with root hair derived from tap water; the presence of this root hair, which mimicked a larva, led to diagnostic confusion. Therefore, tap water should be considered a source of root hair and vegetable matter.
Animals ; Brain Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology ; *Diagnostic Errors ; Helminthiasis/diagnosis ; Helminths/growth & development ; Humans ; Larva/anatomy & histology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Plant Roots/*anatomy & histology ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tuberculoma/*diagnosis/pathology ; Water

BACKGROUND: Exposure to airborne fungi has been related with exacerbation of asthma in adults and children leading to increased outpatient, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations. Hypersensitivity to these airborne fungi may be an important initial predisposing factor in the development and exacerbation of asthma. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine an association between fungal types and spore concentrations with the risk of asthma exacerbation in adults. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted from May 2008 to August 2009 at the Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. All adult (age≥16 years) patients presenting to the hospital with acute asthma exacerbation were enrolled after informed consent. A home survey was conducted for each patient to assess their environmental characteristics. Indoor air samples were also obtained from the patient's home to determine the type and spore concentration of fungi within the week of their enrollment in the study. RESULTS: Three hundred and ninety-one patients with an acute asthma exacerbation were enrolled during the study period. The mean age of participants was 46 years (standard deviation, ±18 years) and 247 (63.2%) were females. A trend of higher asthma enrollment associated with higher Aspergillus concentrations was found in two consecutive summers. A total of nineteen types of fungi were found in air samples. Aspergillus spp. was the most frequently isolated fungus with acute asthma exacerbation. CONCLUSION: An association of higher concentration of indoor Aspergillus spp. with asthma exacerbation in adults was observed in this study.
Adult ; Aspergillus ; Asthma ; Causality ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fungi ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Informed Consent ; Outpatients ; Pakistan ; Spores ; Spores, Fungal

Objective: To assess the frequency of β-lactamase production and antimicrobial resistance in Moraxella catarrhalis isolated from clinical specimens in Pakistan. Methods: This cross sectional study (January to December 2010) was conducted in clinical microbiology laboratory of Aga Khan University Hospital. A total of 97 clinical respiratory specimens growing Moraxella catarrhalis were included. Frequency of β-lactamase production and antimicrobial resistance rates against ampicillin, erythromycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline were noted by performing minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). MICs were calculated as MIC