Aspergillosis Patient Support

Formerly Aspergillus Trust and
Aspergillus Website for Patients

...funded by the Fungal Research Trust

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Welcome

If you are reading this for the first time it probably means that you or someone you are supporting has a suspected or confirmed aspergillosis.
There is a lot of information on aspergillosis available on the internet and some of it is extremely scary so we should start with the following: there are several different types of aspergillosis, all of which are treatable and it is only acute invasive aspergillosis that needs urgent treatment.

You will have many questions about what happens next but let's start with the most obvious ones first. How do my doctors find out which form of aspergillosis I have (if any)?

DIAGNOSIS
X-ray or CT scan following a detailed case history analysis. Blood and sputum tests or a bronchoscopy may be carried out. More details...

TREATMENT
A combination of steroids and antifungal medication is usually used. For more details on symptoms, treatment and prognosis go to one of: ABPA CPA IA Sinus

MAINTENANCE
Regular check ups may be needed at first, but once your condition has stabilised these should get less frequent. More details...

CARER/FRIEND
Aspergillosis is a long term illness and support is important, both emotional and practical. More details...


Information on your illness
	Aspergillosis for Patients Meeting (view here) This meeting was held in Rome on Feb 3rd 2010 and is now available for viewing in the form of video and slides on this site. Many internationally renowned scientists and doctors gave an excellent review of Aspergillosis and the latest research and treatments. Topics covered included invasive aspergillosis, cystic fibrosis, ABPA, CGD, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, steroids and antifungal drugs, surgery, and how to clean up my environment. Go to the talks. Aspergillus is a common fungus found throughout the world, spread by microscopic spores which float in the air. We all breathe them in most of the time but most of us have efficient immune systems that kill the spores. Some people do not manage to kill all of the spores; sometimes because they are undergoing treatment that suppress' their immune systems (e.g. transplant patients, bone marrow transplant recipients), but sometimes because they are genetically susceptible (e.g. some asthma sufferers) or possibly because they have breathed in many more spores than is usual. They develop aspergillus infections, known as aspergillosis. There are several types of aspergillosis which we go into in some detail here, but briefly there is: Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis (ABPA) You have a fungal infection deep down in your lungs. This irritates the lung tissue and causes scarring. The infection is treated with antifungal medication and the inflammation and scarring is reduced using steroids. More... Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis (CPA) Your lungs have been damaged in some way in the past (e.g tuberculosis) and the fungus can grow in the effected area. Sometimes it grows as a fungal ball (i.e. aspergilloma) in the cavity. Sometimes several cavities are involved (CCPA). More... Invasive Aspergillosis Almost exclusively effects very highly immune suppressed people e.g. Transplant patients, bone marrow transplant recipients. Must be treated very urgently which is why this group of patients are retained in hospital during the danger period of their treatment. More... Aspergillus Sinusitis Chronic aspergillus infection of the sinuses. Still controversial but an increasingly accepted diagnosis. More...