Discussion
Diagnosis With Brief Discussion
- Diagnosis
- Airway invasive aspergillosis
- Radiologic Findings
- Initial chest radiograph reveals prominent bronchovascular marking on right upper and lower lung fields. Lung window setting axial chest CT image shows marked bronchial wall thickenings with multifocal ill-defined centrilobular nodules in the both lungs, especially, in right upper lobe and right lower lobe. Follow-up chest radiogram after 10 days shows that the extent of preexisting lesions increases and peribronchial consolidation is newly formed around it, especially in right upper lung field. Lung window setting axial chest CT image taken on same day shows that multifocal peribronchial and nodular consolidations, and bronchiectasis in both lungs. Especially, there is a newly appeared ulcerative plaques along right upper lobe segmental bronchi. On bronchoscopy, whitish jelly-like patch materials and ulcerations were shown in the upper lobar bronchi and biopsy was performed. Pathologically, invasive aspergillosis was confirmed.
- Brief Review
- Airway invasive aspergillosis usually occurs in immunocompromised neutropenic patients, particularly AIDS patients. It accounts for approximately 15% of cases of invasive aspergillosis in immunocompromised patients. It is histologically characterized by the presence of Aspergillus organisms deep to the airway basement membrane. Clinical manifestations can vary and range from an acute tracheobronchitis, to bronchiolitis to bronchopneumonia.
The radiologic feature is characterized patchy peribronchial consolidation, bronchial wall thickening, centrilobular nodules, and, in some cases, the finding of tree-in-bud, depending on whether is it a bronchopneumonia, bronchiolitis, or tracheobronchitis. In some cases, it may be associated with bronchial and/or tracheal inflammation without invasion of the bronchial mucosa on biopsy or be associated with local invasion resulting in multiple ulcerative, plaquelike, or nodular inflammatory lesions involving the trachea, mainstem, and segmental bronchi (ulcerative tracheobronchitis), or, occasionally, result in necrosis and sloughing of the epithelium with the formation of pseudomembranes overlying the mucosal surface (pseudomembranous tracheobronchitis). Smaller airways may be involved, and this abnormality may progress to involve the lung parenchyma.
- Please refer to
Case 752, Case 805, Case 871, -
- References
- 1. Franquet T, et al. Spectrum of Pulmonary Aspergillosis: Histologic, Clinical, and Radiologic Findings RadioGraphics 2001;21:825
2. Krenke R, Grabczak EM. Tracheobronchial manifestations of Aspergillus infections. ScientificWorldJournal 2011;11:2310–2329.
- Keywords
- Airway, Fungal, Aspergillus,