Pleural Aspergillosis

P. Prasenohadi*^a (Dr)

^a Department of Pulmonology and Respiratory Medicine. Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia, Persahabatan Hospital., Jakarta, INDONESIA

* praseno@gmail.com

Background

Pleural aspergillosis is an uncommon disease; only 25 cases have been reported in the literature. Pleural Aspergillosis is a rare entity, with most of the cases occurring on a background of lung disease or surgery. The pleura is infected by aspergillus through bronchopleural or pleurocutaneous communication.

Aspergillus may cause a broad spectrum of disease in the human host, ranging from hypersensitivity reactions to direct angioinvasion. Aspergillus primarily affects the lungs, causing four main syndromes, including allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABP A), chronic necrotizing Aspergillus pneumonia, aspergilloma, and invasive aspergillosis.

Case Reports

We report a case of a 26-year-old male who developed pleural Aspergillosis in the absence of any obvious predisposing factors. Patient presented with fever, dry cough and left sided chest discomfort of 6 weeks duration. A chest radiograph revealed features of the right pyopneumothorax. A chest CT scan showed a bronchiectasis, atelectasis, and right pyopneumothorax. Bronchoscopic showed partial compression of right upper lung, middle lobe and right lower lobe. Pleuroscopy showed wide fibrosis tissue in pars diaphragmatic, apex. visceral pleural. The pleural biopsy resulted an aspergillosis.

Conclusion

Pleural aspergillosis is a rare disease and to diagnosis of pleural aspergillosis we must performed medical thoracoscopy.

Key words: aspergillosis, pleuroscopy

Disclosure of funding source(s): none