PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “ASPERGILLOSIS”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Azoles for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Allergic Broncho-pulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) is hypersensitivity to the fungus Aspergillus Fumigatus that complicates patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. The condition usually results in an increase in symptoms, a greater reliance on corticosteroids to control the disease process and may lead to a progressive decline in lung function. The mainstay of treatment for ABPA remains oral corticosteroids, though this does not completely prevent exacerbations and may not prevent the decline in lung function. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this review is to determine the efficacy of azoles in the treatment of ABPA SEARCH STRATEGY: An initial search was carried out using the Cochrane Airways Group Asthma RCT register. The register was searched using the following terms: (asthma or wheeze) and (allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis or aspergillosis or allergic pulmonary aspergillosis or allergic fungal and disease or allergic mycotic and disease) and (azole or triazole or itraconazole or ketoconazole). SELECTION CRITERIA: All controlled trials that assessed the effect of azole antifungal agents compared to placebo or other standard, for any duration or dose regimen in subjects with ABPA of any age or severity were reviewed. Studies in languages other than English were included. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: All identified trials were independently reviewed by both reviewers & all data collected. Trial quality was scored by the Cochrane assessment of allocation concealment & the Jadad scale of methodological quality. MAIN RESULTS: A total of 11 trials were identified concerning the use of azoles in ABPA. Only two prospective controlled trials were identified. The first trial examined the use of Ketoconazole 400 mg daily for 12 months and demonstrated a reduction in immunological markers of disease activity and symptom scores, there was no significant improvement in lung function. The other trial examined the use of itraconazole for 16 weeks. This demonstrated a reduction in corticosteroid usage, an improvement in immunological markers, an improvement in pulmonary function and exercise tolerance. This study was only available as an abstract and limited details were available. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient information available to recommend the use of azole anti-fungal agents in the routine treatment of patients with ABPA.

Antifungal Agents↗

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis complicating allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a frequent complication in immunocompromised patients. The role of the prolonged use of steroids in predisposing to invasive aspergillosis has been recognized, but exceptionally described in asthmatic patients. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman with bronchial asthma treated with steroid therapy for a long time, who developed an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis with an unusual combination of invasive and allergic disease. It seems reasonable to think that allergic disease due to allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) preceded the terminal invasive process. Adjunctive therapy with antifungal agents in patients with ABPA is considered, since there is the risk of an invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Aspergillosis↗

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a critically ill neonate: case report and review of invasive aspergillosis during the first 3 months of life.

We report a fatal case of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in a severely ill neonate and review 43 additional cases of invasive aspergillosis reported from 1955 through 1996 that occurred during the first 3 months of life. Eleven of the 44 patients had primary cutaneous aspergillosis, 10 had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and 14 had disseminated disease. Most infections were nosocomial in origin. Prematurity (43%); proven chronic granulomatous disease (14%); and a complex of diarrhea, dehydration, malnutrition, and invasive bacterial infections (23%) accounted for the majority of underlying conditions. At least 41% of the patients had received corticosteroid therapy before diagnosis, but only one patient had been neutropenic. Among patients who received medical and/or surgical treatment, outcome was relatively favorable, with an overall survival rate of 73%. Invasive aspergillosis may occur in neonates and young infants and warrants consideration under certain circumstances. Current therapeutic approaches consist of high-dose amphotericin B and appropriate surgical interventions.

Amphotericin B↗

[Conversion of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and successful treatment with fluconazole].

An 82-year-old man with rheumatoid arthritis was admitted to the hospital because of bloody sputum, appetite loss, and a chest-radiographic abnormality. He had previously been treated with oral steroid therapy. The chest X-ray film showed an infiltrative shadow with airlucency in the right upper lung field. Sputum culture for fungi was negative, but a test for aspergillus antigen in serum was positive. Other clinical findings were also compatible with conversion of chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis to invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. The patient was successfully treated with a drip infusion of fulconazole. The patients condition was stable for several months, after which he died due to uncontrollable atrial flutter. Mild immunosuppression due to oral steroid therapy probably caused chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis in this case. The patient's general condition worsened after admission and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis developed. This case taught us that therapy for chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis should include management of the patient's general condition as well as treatment of the pulmonary lesions.

Aged↗

Invasive aspergillosis in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome: report of 33 cases. French Cooperative Study Group on Aspergillosis in AIDS.

PURPOSE: Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)-associated invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a rare condition, which is mainly reported as isolated cases either antemortem or at autopsy. The role of AIDS itself is controversial, because many of the reported patients exhibited the classic risk factors such as neutropenia and steroid therapy. The aims of this study were to report 33 patients with IA during AIDS and their outcome, focusing on the risk factors and the value of diagnostic procedures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients from 17 different medical centers in France were retrospectively included in the study. For pulmonary IA, we defined two types of patients: those with "confirmed IA," describing all the patients with histologically proven disease, and those with "probable IA," who had the development of a new pulmonary infiltrate on chest radiograph and a positive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid culture for Aspergillus species without identification of other pathogens. For extrapulmonary IA, the diagnostic criteria included both positive histology and culture. RESULTS: Of the 33 cases included in this series, 91% were recorded during the last 3 years (1989 to 1991), suggesting that aspergillosis is an emerging complication in AIDS. Approximately 50% of the patients did not exhibit any classic risk factor, i.e., neutropenia and steroid treatment; almost all patients had a CD4 cell count less than 50/mm3. The mycologic culture from BAL was the method of choice for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary disease because it was known to correlate well with histologic findings obtained either antemortem or postmortem. Of 28 patients with a positive BAL culture for Aspergillus, 15 underwent a biopsy or autopsy and 14 were positive at histology. Serum antigen detection was positive in only 4 of 16 tested patients. Clinical and radiologic signs did not differ from those observed in neutropenic patients without human immunodeficiency virus, except for the higher incidence of neurologic complications in AIDS. Interestingly, we observed three cases of invasive necrotizing tracheobronchial aspergillosis with acute dyspnea and wheezing. The use of amphotericin B (0.5 mg/kg/d) and/or itraconazole (200 to 600 mg/d) was most often unsuccessful. Only four patients experienced clinical and radiologic improvement. The mean interval between the diagnosis of IA and death was 8 weeks (range: 3 days to 13 months). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that aspergillosis is an important life-threatening condition in the advanced stage of AIDS. It requires an early diagnosis with BAL fluid culture and careful therapeutic evaluation.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Sinocranial aspergillosis: a form of central nervous system aspergillosis in south India.

Of the 21 patients with aspergillosis of central nervous system seen during the years 1990-1997, 16 (76%) had aspergillosis of sino-cranial origin. The occupation in patients with sino-cranial aspergillosis was either agricultural or manual work and predisposing risk factors were present in only two (12.5%) patients. Skull-base syndromes were the presenting features in 13 patients and three patients presented with features of intracranial space-occupying lesion. Paranasal sinus mass lesions were seen in all the 16 patients. Computerized tomography showed intracranial extradural-enhancing mass lesions in the anterior, middle or posterior cranial fossa in nine (68%) patients, intracranial and orbital lesions in four and orbital lesions in three. Well-formed granuloma with dense fibrosis was the histological feature. Survival rates were not good even after surgical and antifungal chemotherapy. Surgical treatment was subradical in our series. The majority of cases of sinocranial aspergillosis are reported from countries with temperate climates and the high incidence in these regions is probably related to constant exposure to the high spore content of pathogenic Aspergillus species in the 'mouldy' work environment.

Adolescent↗

Disseminated aspergillosis in a patient with cystic fibrosis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a well-known complication of cystic fibrosis (CF), with an estimated incidence of up to 11%. In patients with CF, the diagnosis of ABPA must be based on significant elevation of Aspergillus fumigatus (Af) antibody and total serum IgE, since it is common to already have other clinical and laboratory features of ABPA (Laufer et al., J Allergy Clin Immunol. 1984; 73:44-48). Once ABPA is identified in a patient, institution of corticosteroids is standard therapy. Invasive aspergillosis is a rare occurrence in patients with CF with or without ABPA, and has been reported in only one young adult who did not have ABPA (Giudotti et al., Am J Med Sci. 1982; 283:157-160). We present a case of a 15-year-old male with CF and ABPA who developed disseminated aspergillosis.

Adolescent↗

[Features of aspergillosis in ENT. Clinical features of aspergillosis in ENT (author's transl)].

Etiology, pathogenesis and clinical features of fungal diseases in ENT caused by Aspergillus are discussed. In this paper special stress is put upon the diagnosis and therapy of the Aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses and the ear. Out of a group of 65 patients with Aspergillosis of the nose and paranasal sinuses 25 were examined in detail. Two of them suffered from a malignancy, while the remainder of the group had been in general good health. It was remarkable, that many patients got into touch with domestic animals, garden mould and soil of ornamental plants. In X-ray 12 calcareous concrements were detected. In one case only histological signs of an invasion of Aspergillus could be demonstrated. Fungus infections of cavity of radical mastoidectomy and external ear were often seen and easily diagnosed because of their clinical appearance. In the last years we have neither observed Aspergillosis of the middle and inner ear, nor of the larynx.

Adult↗

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and bilateral fungal balls terminating in disseminated aspergillosis.

A unique case of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis associated with bilateral apical aspergillomas terminating in disseminated aspergillosis is presented. Postulated mechanisms of this combination are discussed with respect to the patient's clinical findings. The contribution of systemic and aerosolized corticosteroids are considered major contributing factors to dissemination of disease.

Adult↗

Role of IL-10 in invasive aspergillosis: increased resistance of IL-10 gene knockout mice to lethal systemic aspergillosis.

IL-10 is associated with a Th2 response, down-regulation of a Th1 response and macrophage activation. We assessed the role of IL-10 during systemic infection with Aspergillus fumigatus. Systemic aspergillosis was established in female C56B1/6 IL-10(-/-) (KO) and wild-type (WT) C57B1/6 mice by i.v. administration of 1 x 10(5)-6 x 10(5) conidia of A. fumigatus. In two experiments, KO survived longer than did WT (P < 0.001). Determination of fungal burdens in the kidneys and brain showed that KO carried significantly lower burdens in both organs than did WT on day 3 (P < 0.001). Semiquantitative histological analyses showed fewer inflammatory foci/mm2 in brain and kidneys of KO than WT (P < 0.03 and < 0.001, respectively) and that extent of infection and associated tissue injury were greater in WT. Although beneficial in some bacterial infections, exogenous IL-10 has been shown deleterious in models of fungal infection. Our data indicate IL-10 is deleterious during systemic aspergillosis infection, increasing the host susceptibility to lethal infection. We speculate this might be related to greater Th2 or lesser Th1 responses, or down-regulation of macrophage responses, in WT compared with KO.

Animals↗

Pseudomembranous tracheobronchial aspergillosis: a rare manifestation of invasive aspergillosis in a non-neutropenic patient with Hodgkin's disease.

Pseudomembranous tracheobronchial aspergillosis coincident with systemic pulmonary aspergillosis represents a rare manifestation of fungal infection in immunocompromized hosts. We report on a patient with recurrent Hodgkin's disease, showing this infectious pattern after treatment with corticosteroids within the antineoplastic schedule, whereas neutropenia--the main risk factor for mold infections--had not occurred. An impaired number of helper T lymphocytes was merely detected as an additional, but hypothetical risk factor, when investigating the status of immunosuppression. Treated systemically with amphotericin B, the patient recovered quickly, although reported mortality rates are disastrous. What is crucial for the clinical management is an early diagnosis by bronchoscopy and cultural proof of the pathogen followed by an adequate antifungal treatment.

Amphotericin B↗

Localized renal aspergillosis with hairy cell leukemia: a review of urinary tract aspergillosis in malignant and nonmalignant conditions.

A case of extensive unilateral renal aspergillosis in a man with hairy cell leukemia is described. This case report is unique because of the long duration of the infection that is more characteristic of patients without malignancy. The degree of unilateral renal involvement found, which included invasion of kidney parenchyma, is uncommon in patients with malignancy. Such patients typically have diffuse disseminated disease with microabscesses. The literature on urinary tract aspergillosis in patients with and without underlying malignancy is reviewed.

Aspergillosis↗

Concomitant allergic Aspergillus sinusitis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis associated with familial occurrence of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

A 24-year-old male, who had nasal symptoms with occasional wheezing was evaluated for consolidation of the right lung which led to the diagnosis of concomitant allergic Aspergillus sinusitis (AAS) and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), a rarely reported association. The patient's mother was a diagnosed case of ABPA. Dramatic relief of nasal and pulmonary symptoms resulted with prednisolone that could not be tapered off completely. No untoward effect of prednisolone was observed on the disease process in a follow-up of 2 years. A high index of suspicion is required for the diagnosis of AAS and family members with history of asthma and/or rhinitis should be investigated for ABPA and/or AAS.

Adult↗

Clinical applicability of the new EORTC/MSG classification for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with hematological malignancies and autopsy-confirmed invasive aspergillosis.

Diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is often difficult. Recently, the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) has proposed new criteria for the classification of invasive fungal infections. We have studied the clinical applicability of this classification in 22 patients with hematological malignancies who had IPA at autopsy. While alive, according to the EORTC/MSG criteria, only 2 patients were classified as having proven IPA, 6 as probable, 13 as possible, and 1 was unclassifiable. Of the patients, 64% had no microbiological or major clinical criteria before death. Although the EORTC/MSG criteria are an important step forward in the standardization of definitions used for IPA in clinical research studies, most patients who die with extensive lung disease only reach a level of possible or probable IPA during life, further highlighting that these guidelines should not be used for clinical decision-making.

Adult↗

Pseudomembranous necrotizing bronchial aspergillosis. A variant of invasive aspergillosis in a patient with hemophilia and acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

A 15-yr-old male hemophiliac developed the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). His terminal illness was characterized by rapidly progressive respiratory failure with intermittent wheezing, nonresponsive to bronchodilator and steroid therapy. Postmortem examination revealed a pseudomembrane covering the mucosa of the lower trachea and bronchi of both lungs. This pseudomembrane was composed predominantly of fungal hyphae speciated as Aspergillus niger. There was widespread transmural necrotizing bronchitis and fungal invasion that extended to involve a narrow zone of peribronchial tissues. The intervening lung parenchyma was free of fungal disease. This unique form of bronchitis is a distinct variant of invasive aspergillosis and merits recognition because of its clinical and prognostic implications.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

[Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis: infrequent form of aspergillosis].

BACKGROUND: Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis (CNPA) is a chronic pulmonary infection caused by the genus Aspergillus, which usually involves moderately immunosuppressed patients. METHOD: We describe 3 patients with a toxic syndrome that had lasted several weeks or months, with lung infiltrates in the chest X-ray and the CT scan. Mycobacterium tuberculosis could not be isolated from different respiratory smears (sputum, bronchoaspiration, Barlett catheter and pulmonary punction in the third case). Moreover, there was no response to anaerobic treatment. RESULTS: All 3 patients were moderately immunosuppressed (2 men were COPD and the woman was an asthmatic patient). One of the men was being treated for a nocardiosis. In all three cases, A. fumigatus was isolated from de different respiratory smears. CONCLUSIONS: To diagnose a CPNA, a high degree of clinical suspicion is needed. The differential diagnose should be done with pulmonary tuberculosis and anaerobic infections. The presence of a member of the genus Aspergillus in the tracheobronchial secretions of a patient should not be systematically considered a saprofit, specially when other microorganisms can not be isolated.

Aged↗