title: Coccidioidomycosis mimicking lung cancer.
abstract: A 65-year-old female smoker was admitted due to haemoptysis and a pulmonary infiltrate in the right lower lung lobe. Tumour was suspected, but there was also a history of 2 years spent in Arizona, known to be endemic for the dimorphic fungus Coccidioides immitis. IgG antibodies and airway culture for C. immitis were negative, and surgery was performed for suspected lung cancer. No malignancy was detected at histopathological investigation, but typical coccidioidal spherulae were observed by silver stain. Coccidioidoma may be a differential diagnosis to malignant tumour in individuals visiting endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology and Tumour Biology Centre, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petrini
authors.forename: C Magnus
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Sköld
authors.forename: Ulf
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bronner
authors.forename: Göran
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Elmberger
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001130:Arizona / Q000453:epidemiology; D003047:Coccidioidomycosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000382:microbiology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013548:Sweden / Q000208:ethnology