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Pulmonary aspergillosis; invasive type Causes and Risks:
Aspergillosis is caused by a fungus
(aspergillus) that is commonly in the environment growing on dead leaves, stored grain, bird droppings, compost piles, or other decaying vegetation.
It causes illness in 3 ways: as an allergic reaction in people with asthma ; as a colonization in an old healed lung cavity from previous disease such as tuberculosis or lung abscess where it produces a fungus ball called aspergilloma ; and as an invasive infection with pneumonia that is spread to other parts of the body by the blood stream. The invasive infection can affect the eye (causing blindness ) any other organ of the body, but especially the heart, lungs, brain, and kidneys. Late in the course of the disease, the nervous system, skin, and other organs may become affected.
Risk factors in addition to immunosuppression include a very low white blood cell count over a prolonged period. The incidence is 5 out of 100,000 people. However, this condition ccan be common in children with cystic fibrosis .
Prevention:
People who are immunosuppressed because of disease or medications should avoid environments that are conducive to the growth of aspergillus fungus.
Symptoms:
Signs and Tests:
Listening to the chest with a stethoscope ( auscultation ) reveals a pleural friction rub.
Tests may include:
Treatment:
The objective of therapy is to control the infection by antifungal medication, and to reverse any correctable immunosuppression . Surgical removal of foreign or infected tissue (debridement) from the sinuses may be necessary. Hospitalization will probably be necessary.
Prognosis:
The death rate is almost 50%.
Complications:
This infection can cause damage to multiple organs, eventually causing multi-organ system failure.
Call Your Healthcare Provider:
Call your health care provider if symptoms of this disorder develop. An early diagnosis may improve the chance of a good outcome.
Aspergillosis is a fungal infection that invades and destroys tissue. This type of infection usually occurs in diabetic or immunocompromised individuals. In this case, the infection is on the thumb.
Aspergillosis is a fungal infection. The fungus invades and destroys tissue. This type of infection usually occurs in immunocompromised individuals. Here, a chest X-ray shows that the fungus has invaded the lung tissue (the lungs are usually seen as black areas on an X-ray; the cloudiness on the left side of this X-ray is caused by the fungus).
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