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

More general terms

• Aspergillus