Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes-Aspergillosis is a disease caused by a fungus Aspergillus. This fungus is quite common in both outdoor and indoor environments. Most people breathe the spores of the fungus every day without being affected. But some people get the disease. In general, it occurs in people with lung diseases or weakened immune systems.

There are different types of aspergillosis. One of them is allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA, for its acronym in English). Symptoms of this include wheezing and coughing. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis can affect healthy people, but it is more common in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis.

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

Another type is invasive aspergillosis, which damages body tissues. It usually affects the lungs. Sometimes it can cause infection in other organs and spread throughout the body. It affects those who have problems with the immune system, such as people who have had a transplant, take high doses of steroids or are receiving chemotherapy for some types of cancer.

Your doctor can do a variety of tests for diagnosis, including a chest x-ray, a CT scan of the lungs, or examining the tissues for signs of the fungus. The treatment is with antifungal medications. If you have this condition, you can also take steroids.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Aspergillosis causes

Aspergillosis is caused by a fungus called Aspergillus. The fungus commonly grows on dead leaves, stored grains, stacks of manure or compost or other decaying vegetation. It can also be found on marijuana leaves.

Although most people are often exposed to aspergillus, infections caused by the fungus rarely occur in people with a healthy immune system.

There are several forms of aspergillosis:

• Pulmonary aspergillosis of the allergic bronchopulmonary type is an allergic reaction to the fungus. This infection usually develops in people who already had lung problems, such as asthma or cystic fibrosis.
• Aspergilloma is a tumor (fungal ball) that develops in an area of lung disease or previous lung scarrings, such as tuberculosis or a lung abscess.
• Pulmonary aspergillosis of the invasive type is a serious infection with pneumonia. It can be spread other parts of the body. Infection occurs most often in people with weakened immune systems due to cancer, HIV / AIDS, leukemia, organ transplantation, chemotherapy or other conditions, or medications that reduce the number of the normal white blood cells or weaken the immune system of the body.

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

Aspergillosis symptoms

The symptoms depend on the type of infection.

Symptoms of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis may include:

• Cough
• Cough with blood or brown mucous plugs
• Fever
• General indisposition (malaise)
• Wheezing
• Weightloss

Other symptoms depend on the part of the affected body and may include:

• Bone-ache
• Chest pain
• Shaking chills
• Decreased urine output
• Headaches
• Increase in sputum production that may have blood
• Respiratory insufficiency
• Skin ulcers (lesions)
• Vision problems

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

Tests and exams

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and ask questions about the symptoms.

Tests to diagnose Aspergillus infection include:

• The antibody test for aspergillosis
• Chest x-ray
• Complete blood count
• Computed tomography
• Galactomannan (a molecule of the fungus that is sometimes found in the blood or lung)
• Level of immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the blood
• Pulmonary function tests
• Sputum stain and culture for Aspergillus
• Tissue biopsy

Aspergillosis treatment

An aspergilloma is not usually treated with antifungal medications unless there is bleeding in the lung tissue. In which case, surgery and medications are required.

Invasive aspergillosis is treated with several weeks of antifungal medication. It can be administered orally or directly into the vein (IV). Endocarditis caused by Aspergillus is treated by surgical replacement of infected heart valves. Long-term antifungal therapy is also needed.

This type of aspergillosis is treated with drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressants), such as prednisone.

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

Expectations (prognosis)

This treatment, people with allergic aspergillosis usually get better over time. It is common for the disease to reappear (relapse) and for it to be necessary to repeat the treatment.

If invasive aspergillosis does not improve with drug treatment, it eventually leads to death. The prognosis for a person with this type of aspergillosis also depends on their disease and the functioning of their immune system.

Possible complications

Health problems from the disease or treatment include:

• Amphotericin B can cause kidney damage and unpleasant side effects, such as fever and chills.
• Bronchiectasis (permanent scarring and enlargement of small alveoli in the lungs).
• Invasive lung disease can cause massive lung bleeding.
• Mucous plugs in the respiratory tract.
• Permanent obstruction of the respiratory tract.
• Respiratory insufficiency.

Aspergillosis-aspergillosis treatment-aspergillosis symptoms-aspergillosis causes

When to contact a medical professional

Consult your provider if you have symptoms of aspergillosis or if you have a weakened immune system and you develop a fever.

Prevention

Precautions should be taken when using medications that suppress the immune system.

Alternative names

Aspergillus infection