Tracheal obstruction associated with a fungus ball. A case of primary tracheal candidiasis.

An elderly patient developed acute respiratory failure secondary to airway obstruction by a Candida fungus ball which probably developed secondary to the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics when the patient had a decreased gag reflex while in a semicomatose state. The frequency of pulmonary fungus balls and their precipitating causes are briefly discussed. This potentially frequent, previously unreported complication should be recognized as a contributing factor in the development of acute respiratory failure requiring management by bronchoscopic techniques, as opposed to intubation.