Computed Tomographic Scan Evaluation of Pulmonary Blastomycosis

Overview

Journal Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol

Publisher Wiley

Date 2010 Dec 2

PMID 21119802

Citations 5

Authors

Suzanne Ronald

Jacek Strzelczyk

Sean Moore

Elly Trepman

Mary Cheang

Bill Limerick

Lyle Wiebe

Pete Sarsfield

Kerry MacDonald

Michael Meyers

John M Embil

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Blastomycosis is an uncommon granulomatous pulmonary and extrapulmonary infectious disease caused by the thermally dimorphic fungus Blastomyces dermatitidis. Diagnosis may be delayed or difficult because of varied presentation. The characteristics of blastomycosis on computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest are not well characterized.

Methods: The images from 34 chest CT scans from patients with confirmed pulmonary blastomycosis were retrospectively reviewed.

Results: The most common CT findings were air bronchograms in 22 patients (65%), consolidation in 21 patients (62%), nodules (smaller than 3 cm) in 21 patients (62%) and lymph node enlargement (mediastinal and hilar nodes combined) in 12 patients (35%). Only four patients (12%) had a miliary pattern.

Conclusions: A specific abnormality characteristic of pulmonary blastomycosis was not identified on CT scanning. The diagnosis can only be made in the context of a high index of clinical suspicion with histological or culture confirmation.

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