title: Anterior mediastinal mass secondary to histoplasmosis.
abstract: Histoplasmosis in the mediastinum is an uncommon diagnosis that presents similarly to other benign and neoplastic conditions encountered in the chest. Here we describe a 36-year-old woman who presented with dyspnea secondary to a large anterior mediastinal mass that was biopsy and culture negative for neoplasm or infection. Video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery biopsy confirmed a large anterior mediastinal mass adherent to the aorta, which contained foci of histoplasmosis species. She is currently undergoing a long postoperative course of itraconozole and an empiric course of oral steroids to prevent development of fibrosing mediastinitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612-3824, USA.
authors.forename: David D
authors.initials: DD
authors.lastname: Shersher
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Breard
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Liptay
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006660:Histoplasmosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008477:Mediastinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed