Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer
A 55-year-old woman with uncontrolled diabetes presented with a persistent cough and low-grade fever for one month. Initial investigations revealed leukocytosis, elevated CRP, and a 6.1 cm × 5.8 cm mass in the left lung with features suggestive of malignancy on CT and PET/CT scans. However, bronchos...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | IDCases |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214250925001234 |
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| author | Chengtao Feng Zhihong Zhao Sheng Zhao Zhiyong Deng Long Chen |
| author_facet | Chengtao Feng Zhihong Zhao Sheng Zhao Zhiyong Deng Long Chen |
| author_sort | Chengtao Feng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A 55-year-old woman with uncontrolled diabetes presented with a persistent cough and low-grade fever for one month. Initial investigations revealed leukocytosis, elevated CRP, and a 6.1 cm × 5.8 cm mass in the left lung with features suggestive of malignancy on CT and PET/CT scans. However, bronchoscopy and histopathology confirmed a pulmonary fungal infection. The patient was treated with antifungal therapy, showing a favorable response with resolution of symptoms and reduction of the mass size. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges in distinguishing pulmonary fungal infections from malignancies, especially in immunocompromised patients with diabetes. The presence of diabetes contributed to the patient’s susceptibility to fungal infections, which mimicked lung cancer on imaging. The importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis, including fungal infections, in patients with risk factors and atypical imaging findings is emphasized. Early suspicion and appropriate antifungal therapy are crucial to avoid misdiagnosis and improve outcomes. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb4dff21207a4bcf84cd5be8e3c496cd |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2214-2509 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | IDCases |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb4dff21207a4bcf84cd5be8e3c496cd2025-08-20T02:05:17ZengElsevierIDCases2214-25092025-01-0140e0226710.1016/j.idcr.2025.e02267Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancerChengtao Feng0Zhihong Zhao1Sheng Zhao2Zhiyong Deng3Long Chen4Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Information, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, People's Republic of ChinaDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, People's Republic of China; Correspondence to: No. 519 Kunzhou Road, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan 650118, People's Republic of China.Department of Nuclear Medicine, Yunnan Cancer Hospital, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Peking University Cancer Hospital Yunnan, People's Republic of China; Correspondence to: No. 519 Kunzhou Road, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan 650118, People's Republic of China.A 55-year-old woman with uncontrolled diabetes presented with a persistent cough and low-grade fever for one month. Initial investigations revealed leukocytosis, elevated CRP, and a 6.1 cm × 5.8 cm mass in the left lung with features suggestive of malignancy on CT and PET/CT scans. However, bronchoscopy and histopathology confirmed a pulmonary fungal infection. The patient was treated with antifungal therapy, showing a favorable response with resolution of symptoms and reduction of the mass size. This case highlights the diagnostic challenges in distinguishing pulmonary fungal infections from malignancies, especially in immunocompromised patients with diabetes. The presence of diabetes contributed to the patient’s susceptibility to fungal infections, which mimicked lung cancer on imaging. The importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis, including fungal infections, in patients with risk factors and atypical imaging findings is emphasized. Early suspicion and appropriate antifungal therapy are crucial to avoid misdiagnosis and improve outcomes.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214250925001234Fungal pneumoniaLung cancer18F-FDG PET/CT |
| spellingShingle | Chengtao Feng Zhihong Zhao Sheng Zhao Zhiyong Deng Long Chen Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer IDCases Fungal pneumonia Lung cancer 18F-FDG PET/CT |
| title | Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer |
| title_full | Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer |
| title_fullStr | Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer |
| title_short | Fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer |
| title_sort | fungal pneumonia mimicking lung cancer |
| topic | Fungal pneumonia Lung cancer 18F-FDG PET/CT |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214250925001234 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chengtaofeng fungalpneumoniamimickinglungcancer AT zhihongzhao fungalpneumoniamimickinglungcancer AT shengzhao fungalpneumoniamimickinglungcancer AT zhiyongdeng fungalpneumoniamimickinglungcancer AT longchen fungalpneumoniamimickinglungcancer |