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Medical Mystery Solved: Doctor Detects Rare Infectious Disease
Mysterious symptoms caused many health problems for
Ruth Ferrarelli. Now she is on the road to recovery, thanks
to a pulmonologist at Ocean Medical Center.
Ruth Ferrarelli, 77, loves to
bake cookies. She is even
known as the "cookie
queen" among friends and family.
But about two years ago, doing the
things she loved became difficult.
She was tired, had a cold, was
constantly congested, experienced
night sweats, and had no appetite.
Her initial diagnosis was a virus.
But a 2005 flight to California
showed her it was something more
serious. Ruth passed out twice, and
the plane was diverted to Albuquerque.
After many tests, the doctors in
Albuquerque suspected lung cancer.
Once back home in Jackson, Ruth followed
up with her local physicians, including
Walter Wynkoop, M.D., a pulmonologist on
staff at Ocean Medical Center.
Ruth underwent extensive testing,
including X-rays, CT scans, and blood
tests. She also had a bronchoscopy, which
is a same-day surgical procedure used to
collect tissue or mucus samples.
The results of the bronchoscopy, coupled
with Ruth's other symptoms, enabled Dr.
Wynkoop to rule out lung cancer. Instead,
he diagnosed Ruth with a nocardia infection
— a very rare disorder caused by bacteria.
"I had never seen this disease before,
but the bacteria fit the clinical picture for
nocardia," says Dr. Wynkoop.
Nocardia infections typically start in the
lungs, but then can spread to other organs
such as the skin and brain. The mortality
rate significantly increases if more than
one organ is involved.
Dr. Wynkoop prescribed an antibiotic
that Ruth continues to take even today.
"Ruth has an impaired immune system,
which made her susceptible to this rare disease,"
he says. "We will continue this suppressive
therapy for a little while longer."
Ruth has no idea how she contracted
the infection, which typically occurs by
inhaling or touching soil that has been contaminated
with the bacteria. But she knows
she is lucky to have had a doctor who was
able to diagnose this rare disease.
"I'm like a walking miracle," enthuses
Ruth. "I've gained back 30 pounds, and I'm
back to baking cookies again."
 – Anne Marie Keevins
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