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A case of primary pulmonary Schizophyllum commune empyema treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication
Alice Zhu1, Kevin R An2, Yan Chen3
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract:
Schizophyllum commune (S. commune) is an environmental basidiomycete bracket fungus that can rarely cause invasive fungal disease. Its diagnosis is challenging and often missed. We present a rare case of a 56-year-old diabetic gentleman with a 6-months history of progressive productive cough, small volume hemoptysis and non-resolving fungal empyema treated with video-assisted thoracoscopic decortication. Pulmonary infection of S. Commune is extremely rare and can manifest as complex fungal empyema. Close cooperation between respirologists, thoracic surgeons and microbiologists is critical in the diagnosis and treatment of such cases.
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