title: Fungal diseases mimicking primary lung cancer: radiologic-pathologic correlation.
abstract: A variety of fungal pulmonary infections can produce radiologic findings that mimic lung cancers. Distinguishing these infectious lesions from lung cancer remains challenging for radiologists and clinicians. In such cases, radiographic findings and clinical manifestations can be highly suggestive of lung cancer, and misdiagnosis can significantly delay the initiation of appropriate treatment. Likewise, the findings of imaging studies cannot replace the detection of a species as the aetiological agent. A biopsy is usually required to diagnose the infectious nature of the lesions. In this article, we review the clinical, histologic and radiologic features of the most common fungal infections that can mimic primary lung cancers, including paracoccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, coccidioidomycosis, aspergillosis, mucormycosis and blastomycosis.
authors.affiliation: Radiology Department, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Gazzoni
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Severo
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchiori
authors.forename: Klaus L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Irion
authors.forename: Marcos D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Guimarães
authors.forename: Myrna C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Ana P G
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hochhegger
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D011859:Radiography
keywords: Fungal; computed tomography; fungal diseases; fungal infections; lung cancer