PSEUDOANEURYSM OF PULMONARY-ARTERY IN MUCORMYCOSIS - RADIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND MANAGEMENT

Pulmonary mucormycosis is a rare and almost invariably fatal complication that can occur in the context of severe deficits in host defenses. Antemortem diagnosis is difficult and requires a high index of suspicion together with invasive diagnostic techniques. Mucor species exhibit a pronounced affinity to invade vessels; mucormycosis involving the pulmonary has rarely been documented antemortem, and survival in this context has been rare. In this report, we describe a patient with chronic renal failure and systemic lupus erythematosus who developed extensive invasion of the left main pulmonary artery by mucormycosis. Chest computed tomographic (CT) scans and pulmonary arteriogram demonstrated a massive pseudoaneurysm of the left pulmonary artery; these radiographic findings have not previously been described in mucormycosis. Aggressive combination therapy, employing preoperative amphotericin B (AmB) followed by surgical resection (pneumonectomy) and a full course of AmB, was curative. This favorable outcome supports the role of surgery as adjunctive therapy, and it underscores the need for early diagnosis and aggressive treatment.