Invasive aspergillosis is an uncommon opportunistic infection usually seen in immunocompromised patients. Despite extensive therapeutic measures the outcome is usually unfavourable. We report a case of invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent individual.

We have evaluated the Platelia Aspergillus enzyme immunoassay for detection of galactomannan in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens in solid organ transplant patients with aspergillosis. The precision and reproducibility in serum or BAL to which galactomannan was added were similar. Sensitivity was 81.8% in patients with aspergillosis, and specificity was 95.8% in lung transplant patients wh...

It should have been a wake-up call. Thirty years ago, TOMLINSON and SAHN [1] found that seven out of 12 (58%) patients with aspergillosis complicating sarcoidosis died over a 2 year period. Three years earlier, WOLLSCHLAGER and KHAN [2] had found evidence of aspergillosis in 12% of 100 consecutive sarcoidosis referrals, and aspergillomas were found in 53% of the 19 patients with fibrocystic asp...

Invasive cerebral aspergillosis always developed in immunocompromised host. Early diagnosis may save life in this critical condition; however, it is difficult to reach. Herein, we presented an unusual case of invasive cerebral aspergillosis in a cirrhotic patient. A 47-year-old man presented with progressive deterioration of consciousness for three days. The patient had a history of alcoholic l...

The innate immune system plays a pivotal role in the primary defence against invasive fungal infection. Genetic variation in genes that regulate this response, initiated by pulmonary macrophages, may influence susceptibility to invasive aspergillosis in patients at risk. We investigated in a clinical setting whether common polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor (TLR) and cytokine genes involved in...

BACKGROUND Isolation of Aspergillus from lower respiratory samples is associated with colonisation in high percentage of cases, making it of unclear significance. This study explored factors associated with diagnosis (infection vs. colonisation), treatment (administration or not of antifungals) and prognosis (mortality) in non-transplant/non-neutropenic patients showing repeated isolation of As...

Combination antifungal therapy is increasingly used in the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. Whether the interaction between amphotericin B and triazoles is antagonistic against invasive aspergillosis is a controversial issue that is not likely to be resolved through a randomized clinical trial. Here, we found both in vitro and in vivo antagonism between liposomal amphotericin B and ravucona...

INTRODUCTION Invasive aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses is a rare disease and often misdiagnosed; however, its incidence has seen substancial growth over the past 2 decades. Definitive diagnosis of these lesions is based on histological examination and fungal culture. CASE REPORT An 81-year-old woman with a history of pain in the left maxillary region is presented. The diagnosis was inva...

BACKGROUND A review of published cases, in addition to a recently treated patient, is presented that describes the clinical features and outcomes of triazole therapy for vertebral aspergillosis in immunocompetent patients. METHODS Using the Medline database, cases of vertebral aspergillosis in immunocompetent patients treated with triazole were reviewed. Clinical and radiological findings, th...