Computed tomography (CT) plays a critical role in the early detection and diagnosis of pulmonary invasive mould infection. This study aimed to compare the CT findings of proven invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) and proven pulmonary mucormycosis (PM) and develop a clinical scoring system based on CT features to differentiate PM from IPA. The medical records of the pathology database among adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) diagnosed with proven IPA or PM between January 2003 and June 2024 were retrospectively reviewed, according to the 2020 European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer criteria. CT scans were reviewed by an experienced radiologist. The primary outcome was CT findings in PM and IPA. We investigated and compared the thoracic CT findings between PM and IPA to identify the predictors of PM compared to IPA prior to invasive diagnostic procedures. A total of 94 patients were included (60 with IPA and 34 with PM). The most common underlying conditions were malignancy (53.2%) and transplantation (47.9%). In univariable analysis, CT features significantly associated with PM, compared to IPA (p 8 differentiated PM from IPA with 70.6% sensitivity and 78.3% specificity. CT findings of large consolidative lesions, the presence of a reverse halo sign, and the absence of airway invasion may aid in the early differentiation of PM from IPA.
Jang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.