Aspergillosis
OVERVIEW
- fungal disease caused by the mold Aspergillus, ranging from hypersensitivity to invasive infection.
- Important species include Aspergillus fumigatus, niger, flavus, calavtus
- transmission by inhalation
- high mortality
CLINICAL FEATURES
Spectrum from hypersensitivity reactions to angioinvasive disease
(1) allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) (can progress from asthma, to bronchiectasis and pulmonary fibrosis)
(2) aspergilloma (fungal ball in a pre-existing cavity)
(3) chronic necrotizing pneumonia (“semi-invasive”)
(4) invasive aspergillosis (airways and/or angioinvasive)
In the immunocompromised:
- haematogenous dissemination
- endophthalmitis
- endocarditis
- abscesses anywhere
RISK FACTORS
- genetic predisposition
- underlying lung disease: asthma, CF, COPD, interstitial lung disease, previous thoracic surgery, Tb
- liver cirrhosis
- immunosuppression: steroids, collagen vascular disease, chronic granulomatous disease, neutropenia, organ transplantation, HIV
May occur in ‘non-immunocompromised’ critically ill patients
INVESTIGATIONS
- Serum galactomannan: screening test of a major component in the cell wall of Aspergillus
- Sputum: Aspergillus radioallergosorbent assay test and culture, sliver staining
- IgG or IgE for Aspergillus
- peripheral eosinophilia
- CXR: fungal ball
- CT: nodules, cavities, alveolar infiltrates; ‘monod sign’ (air around an aspergilloma), ‘finger in glove’ (mucus impaction in ABPA),`halo sign’ (a pulmonary mass surrounded by a zone of lower attenuation with ground-glass opacification produced by adjacent haemorrhage); `air crescent sign’ (crescentic radiolucencies around a nodular area of consolidation)
MANAGEMENT
Overview
- depends on clinical presentation
- resuscitation
- supportive are and monitoring
- treat underlying causes and complications
- specific therapies
Invasive Aspergillosis
- respiratory isolation
- prophylactic anti-fungal treatment
- inhaled amphotericin B
- empiric treatment: voriconazole or amphotericin B
- neutropenia: G-CSF
Chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis
- voriconazole, or
- caspofungin, or
- amphotericin B
Aspergilloma
- surgical resection
- oral itraconazole (interacts with PPI)
- percutaneous instillation of amphotericin
- haemoptysis: embolization
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)
- oral corticosteroids
- oral itraconazole
References and Links
Journal articles
- Meersseman W, Lagrou K, Maertens J, Van Wijngaerden E. Invasive aspergillosis in the intensive care unit. Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Jul 15;45(2):205-16. PMID: 17578780.
- Sherif R, Segal BH. Pulmonary aspergillosis: clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, management and complications. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2010 May;16(3):242-50. PMC3326383.
- Trof RJ, Beishuizen A, Debets-Ossenkopp YJ, Girbes AR, Groeneveld AB. Management of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic critically ill patients. Intensive Care Med. 2007 Oct;33(10):1694-703. PMC2039828.
FOAM and web resources
- Radiopaedia — Pulmonary aspergillosis (has additional links to the various types)
Critical Care
Compendium
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at The Alfred ICU, where he is Deputy Director (Education). He is a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University, the Lead for the Clinician Educator Incubator programme, and a CICM First Part Examiner.
He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives. He was one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) has been recognised for his contributions to education with awards from ANZICS, ANZAHPE, and ACEM.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Bluesky, he is @precordialthump.bsky.social and on the site that Elon has screwed up, he is @precordialthump.
| INTENSIVE | RAGE | Resuscitology | SMACC
