Chest Imaging in Systemic Endemic Mycoses

Abstract

Endemic fungal infections are responsible for high rates of morbidity and mortality in certain regions of the world. The diagnosis and management remain a challenge, and the reason could be explained by the lack of disease awareness, variability of symptoms, and insidious and often overlooked clinical presentation. Imaging findings are nonspecific and frequently misinterpreted as other more common infectious or malignant diseases. Patient demographics and clinical and travel history are important clues that may lead to a proper diagnosis. The purpose of this paper is to review the presentation and differential diagnosis of endemic mycoses based on the most common chest imaging findings.

Keywords

• endemic mycoses
• histoplasmosis
• coccidioidomycosis
• <i>cryptococcosis</i>
• blastomycosis
• paracoccidioidomycosis