Imaging is an important part of diagnosing and monitoring fungal infections, especially when combined with mycological evidence. For good reviews with lots of informative images please see:
- Starkey et al (2014) MRI of CNS Fungal Infections: Review of Aspergillosis to Histoplasmosis and Everything in Between
- Walker et al (2014) Imaging Pulmonary Infection: Classic Signs and Patterns
- Orlowski et al (2017) Imaging Spectrum of Invasive Fungal and Fungal-like Infections
Setting the correct parameters for CT and MR scanning requires radiological expertise. Likewise interpretation is critical and can be difficult. Radiological imaging cannot make a precise mycological diagnosis but usually contributes greatly to a full understanding of the extent of disease and its treatment. Mistaken radiological diagnosis does occasionally occur, primarily because a wide differential diagnosis is not considered initially, and some fungal infections are rare.
We also have a page dedicated to imaging.
You can also have a look at this visual presentation of fungal infections in CT and MRI radiology 2021.
Other areas of the website that may be interest to you:
- Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
- Occupational lung disease
- Mucormycosis
- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)
- Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA)
- Acute pulmonary histoplasmosis
- Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis
- Fungus ball of the sinus
- Chronic histoplasmosis
- Acute histoplasmosis
- Pneumocystis pneumonia
- Coccidioidomycosis
- Blastomycosis
- Paracoccidioidomycosis
Find and share case studies
Radiopaedia is a free database of radiology cases, courses, articles and quiz questions.
Visit LIFE Worldwide’s Radiopaedia profile to find playlists of case studies for fungal diseases including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), CPA/aspergilloma and fungal rhinosinusitis.
Or create an account to share your own cases with clinicians around the world.
Clinical lectures
Choosing a modality
| Case type | Helpful | Unhelpful | Reason |
| Central nervous system | MRI | Un-enhanced CT | CT scanning is insensitive and contrast often not given because of renal dysfunction. Unenhanced CT scan almost useless |
| Lung fungal infection in leukaemia or after haematopoietic stem cell treatment (HSCT) | CT | X-ray | Chest radiograph misses at least 10% of patients and is imprecise in the number and size of lesions |
| ABPA | CT | X-ray | Chest radiograph is insensitive with respect to the complications bronchiectasis and chronic pulmonary aspergillosis |
| Sinus | CT | X-ray | Sinus radiograph insensitive, especially for ethmoid and sphenoid disease |