CHEST 2023 On Demand Pass-Breathing Uneasy: Airway Infections

Video Transcription

Video Summary

The presenter discussed a case of cryptococcal infection involving the trachea. The patient presented with symptoms of shortness of breath, wheezing, intentional weight loss, fatigue, and headache. CT imaging showed thickening and irregularity of the trachea. Bronchoscopy revealed inflamed and erythematous lesions in the trachea and left main bronchus, which were biopsied and tested positive for Cryptococcus neoformans. The patient's symptoms improved with fluconazole treatment. Endobronchial fungal lesions are rare, and are typically seen in immunocompromised patients. Radiological presentations of pulmonary cryptococcal infection can vary, mimicking malignancy, pneumonia, or tuberculosis. It is important to consider infectious etiologies in the differential diagnosis of endobronchial lesions, along with benign lesions and malignancies. The presenter emphasized the need to keep rare infections like cryptococcal infection in mind when assessing patients with unusual or atypical presentation of airway or pulmonary disease.

Meta Tag

Category Chest Infections

Session ID 4008

Speaker Hasan Baher

Speaker Antoun Kamel

Speaker Muftah Mahmud

Speaker Rachel Mullins

Speaker Keertana Seeli

Speaker Subhan Toor

Track Chest Infections

Keywords

cryptococcal infection

trachea

shortness of breath

wheezing

weight loss

fatigue

headache

fluconazole treatment

endobronchial lesions