Pulmonary Blastomycosis Masquerading as Malignancy in India; Case From a Tertiary Hospital in South India

Abstract

Introduction: Blastomycosis is an endemic granulomatous fungal infection involving multiple organ systems predominantly the lungs. The diverse clinical spectra of the pulmonary disease encompass a subclinical infection, an acute infection mimicking a bacterial pneumonia and a chronic variant masquerading as tuberculosis or malignancy. Case Presentation: Here we report a case of a middle-aged gentleman who was evaluated for a malignant pulmonary mass which was later identified as pulmonary blastomycosis. The diagnosis of blastomycosis was made through histopathology and was retrospectively corelated with a travel history to an endemic region. Conclusion: The endemicity of this infection contributes to the diagnostic dilemma in the non-endemic setup. This warrants a high clinical suspicion in patients with a chronic pulmonary syndrome with a travel history to an endemic area.