Date: 10 February 2014
An aspergilloma (or fungal ball) is a mass of fungus found inside the body, for example inside cavities such as the lungs or sinuses, or as abscesses in organs such as the brain or kidney. They are made up of threadlike fungal strands (hyphae) that are densely packed but only around 1/200 of a millimetre in diameter. A mass of hyphae is called a mycelium.
In this image, a slice through an aspergilloma has been imaged using a transmission electron microscope.
Copyright:
With kind permission from Dr Anne Beauvais, Unite des Aspergillus, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Docteur Roux, 75015 Paris
Notes: n/a
Images library
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Single fungal ball, moving. Radiographic appearance of a fungus ball, showing movement as the patient’s position changes.
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Oxalate crystals in the cavity wall surrounding an Aspergillus niger fungus ball (H&E, dark field, x 25).
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Aspergilloma patient. Gross pathology appearance of a fungus ball.
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Conidiophores of Aspergillus fumigatus in the mass of the fungal ball surrounded by mycelia (H&E, x 400).
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Aspergillus niger fungal ball. Calcium oxalate crystals in Aspergillus niger fungal ball. Also shown are darkly pigmented, rough-walled conidia associated with Aspergillus niger infection.
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Aspergillus niger fungus ball within an old tuberculous cavern. This patient had diabetes, a disease commonly associated with A. niger infection.
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Conidial head and brown conidia in a section of a fungus ball caused by Aspergillus niger (H&E, x 400).
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