Treatment of Lung Cancer Complicated by Infection of Talaromyces marneffei: Retrospective Analysis of Chest Imaging Characteristics (Preprint)

Abstract

Infection caused by Talaromyces marneffei is now well-known globally; however, only few reports about <i>T. marneffei</i> infection in lung cancer are available.

The aims of this study were to explore the chest imaging manifestations and clinical characteristics of patients with lung cancer complicated by <i>T. marneffei</i>infection and to improve the overall diagnosis of lung cancer using clinical data, which allows for early treatment of such patients and reduction in the mortality.

Patients with lung cancer co-infected with <i>T. marneffei</i> (observation group) and patients with only <i>T. marneffei</i> infection (control group) were studied as the research objects. The clinical characteristics and chest computed tomography imaging features of the 2 groups were compared and summarized.

The proportion of male patients in the observation group was 21/30 (70%), and that in the control group was 22/30 (73%). Male patients were significantly more than female patients (<i>P</i><.05) in this study. The main clinical manifestations of the observation group were cough, fever, weight loss, expectoration, and fatigue. The main clinical manifestations of the control group were fever, fatigue, weight loss, skin damage, and cough. The symptoms of cough and expectoration in the observation group were significantly more than those in the control group (<i>P</i><.05). In both groups the <i>T. marneffei</i> infection was disseminated (ie, no localized infection was seen). The use of amphotericin B, fluconazole, and itraconazole was similar between the 2 groups (<i>P</i>>.05). The main imaging features of the observation group were obvious enhanced scanning of focus, stripe-shaped regions, and pulmonary nodules. The obvious enhanced scanning of focus in the observation group was significantly higher than that in the control group (<i>P</i><.05).

The clinical and imaging features of lung cancer and <i>T. marneffei</i> infection overlap. When the lung lesions of patients with <i>T. marneffei</i> infection show significant malignant signs, the possibility of lung cancer should be considered.