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Cerebral blastomycosis: a case report

Bal Chander1, Prabal Deb, Chitra Sarkar

  • 1Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi.

Indian Journal of Pathology & Microbiology
|March 1, 2008
PubMed

Insights

This study reports a rare case of intracranial extra-axial blastomycosis in India, mimicking a meningioma in a young female patient. This highlights the importance of considering fungal infections in CNS mass lesions.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Blastomycosis is a chronic systemic fungal infection primarily affecting the skin and lungs.
  • Central nervous system (CNS) involvement is uncommon, typically presenting as meningitis.
  • Intracranial blastomycosis can rarely manifest as mass lesions or abscesses.

Observation:

  • This case details an unusual presentation of intracranial extra-axial blastomycosis.
  • The patient was a 23-year-old female.
  • The lesion mimicked a meningioma on initial presentation.

Findings:

  • This is the third reported case of intracranial extra-axial blastomycosis in India.
  • The fungal infection presented as an intracranial mass lesion.
  • Diagnosis was challenging due to its meningioma-like appearance.

Implications:

  • Highlights the diagnostic challenge of atypical CNS fungal infections.
  • Emphasizes the need for broader differential diagnoses in neuroimaging.
  • Contributes to the limited literature on CNS blastomycosis in the Indian subcontinent.

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