CASE REPORTS
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

An atypical morphologic presentation of Coccidioides spp. in fine-needle aspiration of lung.

Infection due to Coccidioides spp., a dimorphic fungal pathogen, usually presents as a chronic pulmonary disease, occasionally with pulmonary nodules. On cytology, large spherules filled with endospores are typically seen. We report an unusual case of coccidioidomycosis in a 39-year-old female from an area nonendemic for Coccidioides and without other known risk factors for infection. Fine-needle aspiration of the patient's cavitary lung lesion revealed Coccidioides spp., which demonstrated atypical delicate septate hyphal forms and chains of conidia, with none of the large spherules typical of Coccidioides spp. Atypical hyphal and other forms of Coccidioides spp. have been reported in several studies, primarily from biopsy or tissue resection specimens. However, this is the first case to our knowledge that the organism has presented solely as conidial and atypical hyphal forms in an aspirated specimen. Pathologists who are unfamiliar with this atypical hyphal formation may misdiagnose the organism as several different fungi, including Aspergillus spp. or Fusarium spp. It is important to differentiate among fungi, as antifungal treatments may vary. Cytologists should be aware of the diverse morphologies demonstrated by Coccidioides spp. and include this organism in their differential diagnosis, even in patients seemingly devoid of pertinent risk factors.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app