{"id":"d64e7891-2e01-448d-9391-0ebb1ad7e257","slug":"aspergillus-masquerading-as-clival-chordoma","title":"<i>Aspergillus</i> masquerading as clival chordoma","authors":["Jitender Chaturvedi","Prashant Joshi","Nishant Goyal","Anil Kumar Sharma","Radhey Shyam Mittal","Rajeev Sharma"],"abstract":"Background: Fungal infections at the skull base are rare but can present with symptoms similar to those of more common lesions, such as clival chordomas. This case report discusses a 32-year-old female patient who presented with headaches and double vision, ultimately diagnosed with a fungal infection masquerading as a clival chordoma on imaging studies. Summary: Imaging studies revealed an expansile isodense lesion involving the clivus and surrounding structures, initially suggestive of a clival chordoma. However, intraoperative analysis indicated a fungal infection, specifically Aspergillus flavus, leading to a change in the management approach. The patient responded well to antifungal treatment and showed complete resolution of symptoms and imaging findings at follow-up. Conclusion: This case highlights the importance of considering fungal infections in the differential diagnosis of skull base lesions, even in immunocompetent patients. Awareness of such possibilities can lead to timely diagnosis and appropriate management, preventing misdiagnosis and unnecessary surgical interventions. Keywords: Aspergillus, clival chordoma, fungal infection, skull base, neurosurgery, imaging, case report","thumbnailUrl":"https://sni-digital-videos.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/d64e7891-2e01-448d-9391-0ebb1ad7e257/featured/hero-1781563105288.png","publishDate":"2020-10-02T00:00:00.000Z","doi":"10.25259/SNI_544_2020","categories":["Infection","Image Report"],"fullTextUrl":"https://surgicalneurologyint.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/10304/SNI-11-318.pdf"}