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Aspergillus fumigatus
Etiology:
- immunosuppression, including chemotherapy
Epidemiology:
- in patients with AML & chemotherapy-induced neutropenia, Aspergillosis is far more common than blastomycosis, candidiasis, or Pneumocystis pneumonia[
Pathology:
- invasive pulmonary aspergillosis
- begins in the respiratory tract, then enters the circulatory system, followed by formation of a fungus-septic emboli complex with subsequent hematogenous dissemination
- sinusitis, brain abscess, endocarditis, disseminated infection, & osteomyelitis also may occur
Laboratory:
- Aspergillus fumigatus serology
- Aspergillus fumigatus antigen
- Aspergillus fumigatus DNA
- microscopy:
- methenamine silver stain
- acutely branching hyphae with septations
Differential diagnosis:
- Pneumocystis jirovecii
- does not form hyphae
- appears as cysts or trophic forms
- often appears as foamy intra-alveolar exudates on methenamine silver stain
Related
Aspergillus fumigatus antibody in serum
General
Aspergillus
Properties
KINGDOM: plant
DIVISION: EUMYCOPHYTA
References
- Medical Knowledge Self Assessment Program (MKSAP) 20
American College of Physicians, Philadelphia 2025
- Godoy MCB, Ferreira Dalla Pria HR, Truong MT, Shroff GS, Marom EM.
Invasive Fungal Pneumonia in Immunocompromised Patients.
Radiol Clin North Am. 2022 May;60(3):497-506.
PMID: 35534133 Review.