Cryosurgery and Next-Generation Sequencing Unravel Talaromycosis Mimicking an Airway Tumor: A Case Report

Tracheobronchial talaromycosis is uncommon in non-HIV infected patients. Reports on tracheobronchial talaromycosis presenting as a tumor-like lesion are also scarce, and the value of bronchoscopic cryosurgery in the treatment of tracheobronchial talaromycosis has not been mentioned. We report a case of tracheobronchial talaromycosis mimicking an airway tumor, which was diagnosed through bronchoscopic cryosurgery, next-generation sequencing(NGS), and tissue culture. The patient presented with neoplastic lesions in the airway and tested positive for anti-interferon-gamma autoantibody(AIGA). Clinical cure was achieved through bronchoscopic cryosurgery followed by a 2-week course of intravenous amphotericin B infusion and atomization induction therapy, along with 3 months of oral voriconazole maintenance therapy. In addition, we collected six reports summarizing the clinical data of tracheobronchial Talaromyces marneffei infection in non-HIV infected patients, including 14 patients with AIGA-positive, and discussed their clinical features. Our research may help increase physicians' awareness of these types of diseases and provide resources for future diagnosis and treatment.