Primary Pulmonary Sporotrichosis1,2

Primary pulmonary sporotrichosis with cavitation occurred in 2 patients. One had a typical “fungus ball” presumably caused by Sporotrichum schenkii. One patient was treated with iodides and amphotericin B; the other received iodides and underwent pulmonary resection. After initiation of therapy, the fungus could no longer be recovered from the sputum of either patient. Circumstances associated with one of the patients strongly suggested inhalation of fungal spores as the mode of infection.