Pulmonary Coccidioidomycosis: Pathology

Comments:
Spectrum of Pulmonary Pathology in Coccidioidomycosis: Coccidioidomycosis produces necrotizing and non-necrotizing granulomas in the lungs in both immunocompromised and immunocompetent individuals. The presence of mature and immature spherules allows its distinction from blastomycosis and histoplasmosis which can produce similar histologic patterns.

The full spectrum of pathology ranges from upper and lower airway involvement, solitary parenchymal nodules, acute pneumonia, eosinophilic pneumonia, chronic progressive infection with cavitary nodules, bronchopleural fistula, empyema, pleural effusion, miliary involvement (seen here) and even disseminated disease. The image shows numerous BCG-like granulomas in a wedge resection of lung.