Hemoptysis: An Unusual Symptom of the Posterior Ethmoid Fungal Ball Sinusitis

Hemoptysis is defined as the expectoration of blood, alone or mixed with mucus, from the lung parenchyma or respiratory tract. Bronchitis, pneumonia, bonchietasis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and malignancy are the common causes of hemoptysis. So, the initial step in the evaluation is determining the origin of hemoptysis. A woman presented with chronic hemoptysis as her only complaint. Bronchoscopy and chest CT were performed, but the cause was not identified. Further examination by CT of the paranasal sinuses identified a localized lesion in the posterior ethmoid sinus which, on surgical exploration, was found to be the result of a fungus.