Thoracic aspergillosis (part I)

Mohammad A. Dar, M.D. Muzaffar Ahmad, M.D. Allan J. Weinstein, M.D. Atul C. Mehla, M.D. Joseph A. Golish, M.D. With the increase in the number of patients receiving immunosuppressive therapy, the incidence of fungal infection is also on the rise. The fungus Aspergillus, a ubiquitous saprophyte, can produce pulmonary as well as systemic infection in several different forms. These include aspergilloma, primary pulmonary aspergillosis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, invasive aspergillosis, and disseminated aspergillosis. The manifestations and treatment of these forms of infections vary greatly from one to another. In part I, the authors review the broad spectrum of thoracic aspergillosis with comments on the localized form, aspergilloma.