A sputum sample is obtained by coughing deeply and expelling the material that comes from the lungs into a specimen container. The sample is transferred to a slide and examined under a microscope. A positive result indicates a fungal infection in the lungs.
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; Jatin M. Vyas, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.