title: Simultaneous Chronic Invasive Fungal Infection and Tracheal Fungus Ball Mimicking Cancer in an Immunocompetent Patient.
abstract: Fungal infections of the lung are uncommon and mainly affect people with immune deficiency. There are crucial problems in the diagnosis and treatment of this condition. Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and candidiasis are the most common opportunistic fungal infections. Aspergillus species (spp.) are saprophytes molds that exist in nature as spores and rarely cause disease in immunocompetent individuals. In patients with immune deficiency or chronic lung disease, such as cavitary lung disease or bronchiectasis, Aspergillus may cause a variety of aspergillosis infections. Here we present a case of a 57-year-old patient without immunodeficiency or chronic lung disease who was diagnosed with endotracheal fungus ball and chronic fungal infection, possibly due to Aspergillus. Bronchoscopic examination showed a paralyzed right vocal cord and vegetating mass that was yellow in color, at the posterior wall of tracheal lumen. After 3 months, both the parenchymal and tracheal lesions were completely resolved.
authors.affiliation: Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, 34020 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Erdoğan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çetinkaya
authors.affiliation: Chest Diseases, Karabük University School of Medicine, 78200 Karabük, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-6923-736X
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Çörtük
authors.affiliation: Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, 34020 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şule
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Gül
authors.affiliation: Internal Medicine, İstanbul Medipol University School of Medicine, 34083 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mert
authors.affiliation: Merzifon Kara Mustafa Paşa State Hospital, 05300 Amasya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Boyacı
authors.affiliation: Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Education and Research Hospital, 34020 Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ertan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Çam
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
authors.forename: H Erhan
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Dincer