ASPERGILLOSIS Flashcards
Which groups of patients are most at risk of developing aspergillosis in the respiratory tract?
TB patients COPD patients Lung cancer patients Sarcoidosis patients Asthmatics CF patients Immunosuppressed patients
What does ABPA stand for?
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
What is the mechanism of pathology in ABPA?
Type I and type III hypersensitivity
Early on allergic response causes bronchoconstriction
Persistent inflammation leads to bronchiectasis
Which patients are commonly affected by ABPA?
Asthmatics
CF patients
Which fungus most often leads to the hypersensitivity response seen in ABPA?
Aspergillus fumigatus
How do patients with suspected ABPA present?
Wheeze Cough Dyspnea Exercise intolerance Sputum production (plugs of sputum containing fungal hyphae) Pleuritic chest pain Fever Hemoptysis Most often have a previous asthma diagnosis
What investigations should be ordered for someone with suspected ABPA?
Skin prick test for sensitivity to aspergillus antigen
Blood test
Chest X-ray
CT
What would you look for in the blood to confirm or exclude a diagnosis of ABPA?
Normal levels of IgE excludes diagnosis of ABPA
Raised levels of IgE raises suspicion
Raised eosinophils
Presence of IgG antigen-antibody complex (precipitin)
What would you look for on a x-ray of someone with suspected ABPA?
Consolidation Mucoid impaction in airways Transient segmental collapse Signs of bronchiectasis Tramline shadowing
What would you look for on a CT of someone with suspected ABPA?
Central (confined to medial two-thirds of medial half of the lung) bronchiectasis that peripherally tapers bronchi is considered a requirement for ABPA.
Mucoid impaction of upper and lower airways
Mucus plugs
Rarely - fibrosis, pleural effusion, nodular opacities and perihilar opacities
How would you treat someone with a confirmed diagnosis of ABPA? Give doses where you can.
Prednisolone - 30-40mg/24hr PO for acute attacks and 5-10mg/24 hr as a maintenance dose
Itraconazole (anti-fungal agent) is sometimes used in conjunction with corticosteroids.
Bronchodilators for asthma.
Sometimes bronchoscopic aspiration of mucus plugs is needed.
What percentage of asthmatics are affected by ABPA?
Roughly 1%
What is an aspergilloma?
A fungus ball within a pre-existing cavity.
Which groups of patients are more susceptible to an aspergilloma?
TB patients
Sarcoidosis patients
How might someone with an aspergilloma present? (Name at least 3)
They are usually asymptomatic Cough Hemoptysis Lethargy Weight loss