A mass in the upper abdomen derived from Talaromyces marneffei infected lymphadenopathy: a case report

• Main Authors: Xue Chen, Lin Jia, Yongfeng Wu, Jing Chang, Tong Zhang, Yingmin Ma, Yulin Zhang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021-08-01
• Series: BMC Infectious Diseases
• Subjects: Talaromyces marneffei; HIV; AIDS; Upper abdominal mass; Next-generation sequencing
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-021-06489-7

Abstract Background An upper abdominal mass without tenderness often indicates a benign or malignant tumor once liver or spleen hyperplasia has been excluded. A lymphadenopathic mass from Talaromyces marneffei infection is rare. Case presentation We report the case of a 29-year-old human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected man who presented with an upper abdominal mass and without any symptoms related with infection. Histopathology and next-generation sequencing (NGS) following biopsy of the mass confirmed T. marneffei-infected lymphadenopathy, and the patient was successfully treated with amphotericin B and itraconazole. Conclusions This case report suggests that potential fungal infection should be considered during the diagnostic workup of a mass in clinical practice.