Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Aspergilloma within ectatic bronchus, mimicking endobronchial hamartoma
- Radiologic Findings
- The focused image of chest radiograph shows round mass shadow in left lower zone.
Nodular or popcorn-like calcifications are seen within the mass.
Increased opacity superior to the mass shadow is due to aspirated blood.
On CT scan, the mass located within the ectatic bronchus with air crescent sign and the presence of popcorn-like calcification was confirmed.
- Brief Review
- A fungus ball can be defined as a conglomeration of interwined fungal hyphae admixed with mucus and cellular debris within pulmonary cavity or ectatic bronchus.
The most common underlying cause is tuberculosis, approximately 25 to 50% of patients having a history of this disease.
Other predisposing conditions associated less often with aspergilloma formation include bronchiectasis of any cause, chronic fungal cavities, bronchogenic cysts, acute and chronic bacterial abscesses, cavities related to P. carinii in patient with AIDS, cavitary carcinoma, radiation fibrosis, and so on.
Radiologically, a fungus ball consists of a solid, more or less round mass of soft tissue density within a spherical or ovoid cavity.
Typically, the mass is separated from the wall of the cavity by an air space, resulting in the distinctive air crescent sign. As on the radiographs, the most characteristic finding of aspergilloma on CT consists of an ovoid or round soft tissue intracavitary mass.
Areas of increase attenuation, presumably representing calcium deposit, are relatively common.
CT may also demonstrate fungal fronds situated on the cavity wall that intersect with each other and form an irregular sponge-like network, before the development to the mature fungus ball.
Occasionally, the mycelial mass grows to fill a cavity completely, effectively obliteration the air space necessary for its radiographic identification.
The fungus ball usually moves when the patient changes position.
Calcification of the fungus ball occurs in some cases; this may be apparent as scattered small nodules, as a find rim around the periphery of the mass, or as an extensive process involving the greater part of the mycetoma.
- References
- 1. Fraser and Pare's Diagnosis of diseases of the chest. 4th ed. 924-927
2. Kim TS, Lee KS, Han J, et al. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the tracheobronchial tree: radiographic and CT findings in 12 patients. Radiology 1999; 212: 643-648
3. Ahn JM, Im J-G, Seo JW, et al. Endobronchial hamartoma: CT findings in three patients. AJR 1994; 163: 49-50
- Keywords
- Lung, Airway, Infection, Fungal infection,