title: Central nervous system mycosis: analysis of 10 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the clinicopathological features in patients with fungal infections of the central nervous system (CNS) presenting as mass lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective analysis of records obtained from 10 patients was done with histopathologically confirmed fungal infections presenting as ICSOL, diagnosed in the department of pathology. Clinical features at presentation, findings of radiological investigations performed and histopathology were noted for each patient and subjected for analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Infection was higher in males, and paranasal sinusitis was the most common predisposing factor. Location was intraparenchymal followed by sphenoid wing. Four dural-based lesions mimicked meningioma clinically. The most common fungus identified was zygomycosis (seven cases), followed by phaeohyphomycosis (two cases) and aspergillosis (one case).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a rising trend of CNS mycosis, both in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients. Intracranial fungal granuloma may mimic radiologically as glioma or meningioma, therefore a high index of suspicion is needed to detect early CNS fungal infections, especially in immunocompetent young patients with no predisposing illness. Fungi should always be excluded in patients with inflammatory or granulomatous pathology of CNS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Sahara Hospital, Lucknow, India.
authors.forename: Anju
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Megha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bansal
authors.forename: Mazhar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Husain
authors.forename: Devendra Kumar
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Chhabra
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D020314:Central Nervous System Fungal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000382:microbiology; D060446:Phaeohyphomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult; D020096:Zygomycosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000666:Amphotericin B