Tuberc Respir Dis.  2013 Jun;74(6):269-273.

A Case of Isolated Pulmonary Mucormycosis in an Immunocompetent Host

• Lee JS
• Kim HC
• Park SW
• So HS
• Woo CY
• Choi JH
• Kim SH
• Kim SJ
• Oh YM

Abstract

Mucormycosis is a rare fungal disease that holds a fatal opportunistic fungal infection in diabetes mellitus, hematological malignancy, and immunocompromised host. Isolated pulmonary mucormycosis is extremely rare. Optimal therapy is a combined medical-surgical approach and a management of the patient's underlying disease. Herein, we report a case-study of isolated pulmonary mucormycosis which was being presented as multiple lung nodules in a patient with no underlying risk factors. Considering that the patient had poor pulmonary functions, we treated him with only antifungal agent rather than a combined medical-surgical approach. After treatment with antifungal agent for six months, the nodules of pulmonary mucormycosis were improved with the prominent reductions of size on the computed tomography.

Keyword

Mucormycosis; Lung; Immunocompetence; Posaconazole

MeSH Terms

Diabetes Mellitus
Hematologic Neoplasms
Humans
Immunocompetence
Immunocompromised Host
Lung
Mucormycosis
Risk Factors
Triazoles
Triazoles

Figure

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  Figure 1 Initial chest radiography revealed two lung nodules in lower left lung field.

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  Figure 2 Computed tomography of chest showed three long nodules in lower left lobe of lung and one lung nodule in lower right lobe.

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  Figure 3 Pathological findings of lung tissue are shown as thick, irregular and non-septated fungal hyphaes with right-angle branching in hematoxylin and eosin stain (A, ×400) and Gomori's methenamine silver stain (B, ×400).

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  Figure 4 After treatment with antifungal agent for 3 months, computed tomography of chest showed the prominent reduction of size in the nodules of pulmonary mucormycosis.

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  Figure 5 After the end of the treatment for 3 months, chest radiography revealed no definitive relapse of mucormycosis.

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