Spontaneous lysis of mycetomas after acute cavitating lung disease.

Pulmonary mycetomas (fungus balls) caused by mucormycosis and aspergillus developed in 2 patients after aspiration pneumonia and septic lung infarction. No specific therapy was initiated and both fungus balls underwent spontaneous lysis. These patients and the descriptive literature of other patients with fungus balls secondary to acute lung damage suggest that mycetomas forming in acutely damaged but previously healthy lung tissue have a high incidence of spontaneous resolution. Therapy with antifungal agents or resectional surgery is not required unless hemoptysis or chronic suppurative infection develops.