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Article
December 1954

TWO TREATMENT FAILURES USING DIETHYLSTILBESTROL IN TREATMENT OF COCCIDIOIDOMYCOSIS

Author Affiliations

LOS ANGELES; PITTSBURGH

From the Department of Dermatology and Syphilology, Army Medical Service Graduate School and Walter Reed Army Hospital, Washington, D. C.

AMA Arch Derm Syphilol. 1954;70(6):809-812. doi:10.1001/archderm.1954.01540240115014
Abstract

Diethylstilbestrol has been used successfully by Curtis and Harrell1 in the treatment of two cases of blastomycoses. The rationale for using female hormones for the treatment of deep mycoses is (a) the low incidence of deep mycoses in females, and (b) the in vitro fungistatic activity of these hormones. Bocobo, Curtis, and Harrell2 reported excellent results on the in vitro fungistatic activity of diethylstilbestrol on Coccidioides immitis.

These two cases of coccidioidomycosis which were treated with large doses of diethylstilbestrol are reported because of the effects from administering 100 mg. per day for relatively long periods and the failure of this hormone in altering the disease.

REPORT OF CASES

Case 1.—A 25-year-old Negro (Fig. 1) was stationed at Fort Bliss, El Paso, Texas, for one year. During that time he was on maneuvers in desert-like areas. In July, 1951, he was transferred to Germany. In August, 1951, he

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