Invasive aspergillosis presenting as hilar masses with stenosis of bronchus: A case report

BACKGROUND: Hilar masses with stenosis of the bronchus occur mainly due to malignant diseases, such as lung cancer. Hilar masses resulting from invasive aspergillosis are extremely rare and occur mostly in severely immunosuppressed patients. CASE SUMMARY: In the current case report, we have documented a unique case of invasive aspergillosis presenting as a mass in the hilum and bronchial stenosis under bronchoscopy mimicking lung cancer in a 54-year-old man with diabetes mellitus. The histological analysis of bronchial membrane biopsy demonstrated fungal elements of 45° branching hyphae with positive Periodic Acid-Schiff and Grocott staining. After 3 mo of antifungal therapy, the symptoms, computed tomography scan and bronchoscopy manifestations all showed improvement. CONCLUSION: We highlight that clinicians should consider a diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis when radiological examination shows pseudotumor appearance in diabetes mellitus patients.