title: Pulmonary zygomycosis: A clinicopathological study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Zygomycosis is an emerging infection worldwide. Pulmonary zygomycosis (PZ) is uncommon with only few reported series from India.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cases of PZ diagnosed on histopathology between 1995 and 2008 were included. Clinical and imageological findings were noted in all cases. Routine hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections were studied to assess the pathology; Gomori's methenamine silver (GMS), periodic acid Schiff were done for delineating fungal morphology. Culture reports were collected wherever available. Treatment and outcome details were noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven patients were diagnosed with PZ during the study period, which included six males and one female patient. Six of these had diabetes mellitus (DM) and one patient was on chemotherapy for the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Fever and cough were the most common presenting features. Consolidation with or without cavitation was seen in six patients and lung abscess with fungal ball in one patient. All six patients with DM had upper lobe involvement and four had multiple lesions. Histological sections revealed necrotizing inflammation, hemorrhagic infarcts and angioinvasion. Culture was available in two patients, which grew Rhizopus oryzae. Five patients succumbed to disease and remaining two were lost to follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diabetes mellitus is the most common predisposing factor for PZ and carries high mortality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Sundaram
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Challa
authors.forename: Shantveer G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Uppin
authors.forename: Megha S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Uppin
authors.forename: Roshni T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Aruna K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Prayaga
authors.forename: Manmadha T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rao