[Necrotizing tracheobronchitis due to invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient]

Aspergillus tracheobronchitis is a rare form of invasive aspergillosis reported exceptionally in the immunocompetent patient. Its diagnosis is difficult, and the treatments proposed so far are of little effectiveness, all of which constitute a real problem for the health team. We present the case of an immunocompetent 28 years old woman, with no epidemiological background, who developed necrotizing tracheobronchitis due to invasive aspergillosis and received voriconazole with local instillation by bronchoscopy with a good response.

Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Complicated with Pseudomembranous Aspergillus Tracheobronchitis in a Patient without Apparent Risk Factors for Invasive Aspergillosis

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a tick-borne infectious disease. A 91-year-old woman was admitted to our intensive-care unit with SFTS, and she developed dyspnea with wheezes 5 days after admission. Bronchoscopy showed scattered white mold in her central airway. An airway tissue biopsy and culture of bronchial lavage fluid revealed fungal hyphae in the necrotic tissue, confirmed as Aspergillus fumigatus. She was thus diagnosed with pseudomembranous aspergillus tracheobronchitis. She had no common risk factors for invasive aspergillosis (IA). Patients with SFTS, even those without apparent risk factors for IA, may be at risk of developing IA.

Analysis of the clinical features of invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis

INTRODUCTION

Early diagnosis of invasive bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (IBPA) is difficult, so the mortality rate is high.

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the clinical features of IBPA.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, imaging findings, laboratory test, diagnosis and treatment of 115 patients with IBPA diagnosed from October 2004 to June 2013 in Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University.

RESULTS

The main clinical manifestations were cough in 58 patients (50.4%), expectoration in 37 patients (32.2%), fever in 18 patients (15.7%), shortness of breath in 26 patients (22.6%), hemoptysis in 26 patients (22.6%) and chest pain in 7 patients (6.0%). The main CT findings were nodules in 35 patients (30.4%), consolidation shadows or patchy shadows in 62 patients (53.9%) and cavity in 14 patients (12.2%). Percutaneous pulmonary biopsy was conducted in 25 patients (21.7%), TBLB in 58 patients (50.4%) and thoracoscopic surgery in 32 patients (27.8%). The positive rate of GM test was 73.5% (72/98). Thirty patients who received lobectomy were followed up for 1-3 years. Fifty-five patients who received monotherapy with antifungal agents were followed up for 1-3 years, and 12 patients were healed. The lesions for 23 patients were obviously absorbed, 10 patients had aggravation and two patients died.

CONCLUSIONS

The clinical manifestations of IBPA were unspecific. The main symptoms were cough and expectorate. Patients with different immunologic function had different imaging findings. The halo sign and new moon sign for diagnosis was not as common as reported. Interventional therapy under bronchoscope is very important for patients with ATB.