Abstract

Adiaspiromycosis, a mycotic disease of small animals, has rarely been reported in humans. The principle causative organism in Europe is Emmonsia crescens. Inhaled, dust-borne spores of E crescens fail to germinate in host tissue, instead increasing in size dramatically to become thick-walled, round adiapsores, which induce a granulomatous response. The pathological effects depend on the spore burden and host immunocompetence, and range from asymptomatic infection through to necrogranulomatous pneumonia, respiratory failure and, rarely, death. Diagnosis is principally made through histological examination. This report describes a case of a patient with low-grade, localised pulmonary adenocarcinoma with occult adiaspiromycosis that radiologically mimicked widespread malignancy. It is believed to be the first reported human case of adiaspiromycosis in the UK.