Tracheal aspergillosis, Bronchoscopic views of the trachea showing nodules in the trachea that revealed Aspergillus on biopsy. The patient had chronic lymphocytic leukaemia treated with fludarabine and corticosteroids and presented with wheezing and bilateral alveolar shadows.
Copyright:
Provided by Dr. B. R. O’Driscoll, Hope Hospital, Salford.
A 43 year old with smoking related emphysema was admitted to hospital with two separate episodes of haemoptysis. He had been in good health up to 1989, when he was diagnosed as having bilateral pulmonary tuberculosis. At that time a CT scan revealed a cavity in the left upper lobe (20.8cm2) with adjacent confluent infiltrates and pleural thickening. On bronchoscopic examination no abnormalities were noted and endobronchial biopsies did not reveal hyphae.
Over the next 4 years his condition deteriorated and a CT scan showed the left upper lobe cavity had increased to 40cm2. Itraconazole 400mg daily was prescribed. There was some clinical improvement on itraconazole but patient eventually deteriorated with breathlessness and with significant weight loss.
, 
