Histoplasmosis mimicking metastatic spinal tumour.

Bing Liu, Liyan Qu, Jian Zhu, Zhengming Yang, Shigui Yan
Author Information
  1. Bing Liu: 1 Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
  2. Liyan Qu: 2 Clinical Laboratory Centre, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
  3. Jian Zhu: 1 Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
  4. Zhengming Yang: 1 Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
  5. Shigui Yan: 1 Department of Orthopedics, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.

Abstract

Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by a fungus called Histoplasma. Diagnosis of histoplasmosis is based on the culture of biological samples and detection of fungus in tissues. Histoplasmosis can mimic malignant lesions. We report a 65-year-old, immunocompetent, male patient with back pain. We describe the main clinical and radiological characteristics in our patient who had vertebral histoplasmosis that mimicked cancer. A computed tomography scan showed lytic lesions of the right side of T4, T5, and T6 vertebral bodies. Magnetic resonance imaging displayed abnormal marrow signals in T4, T5, and T6 vertebral bodies (low signal on T1, high on T2 and short time inversion recovery (STIR)). Which was mimicking malignancy, such as haematological malignancy and metastatic bone cancer. Therefore, thoracic spinal surgery using the anterior approach was performed. An intraoperative frozen section examination and routine postoperative pathology showed thoracic histoplasmosis infection. Treatment of histoplasmosis was performed with oral itraconazole. The lesions did not progress and the patient symptomatically improved at a follow-up of 26 months.

Keywords

References

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MeSH Term

Aged
Back Pain
Diagnosis, Differential
Histoplasma
Histoplasmosis
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Spinal Neoplasms
Thoracic Vertebrae
Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Word Cloud

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