Pulmonary aspergillosis presenting with recurrent haemoptysis

BMJ Case Rep. 2015 Jul 7:2015:bcr2015211249. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2015-211249.

Abstract

Pulmonary aspergillosis presents with a variety of clinical forms including invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, chronic necrotising aspergillosis, aspergilloma, chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Haemoptysis is a devastating complication of pulmonary aspergillosis and a common indication for surgery. We report a case of a 54-year-old man with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis and diabetes mellitus, who presented with productive cough and haemoptysis for 2 months. Chest CT revealed a 30 mm diameter soft tissue mass in the upper lobe of the right lung. Haemoptysis subsided with conservative measures, but 2 weeks later the patient developed a new episode of persistent haemoptysis, which was only partially controlled with bronchial arterial embolisation. He underwent right upper and middle lobectomy. Histology examination confirmed the presence of a fungal cavitary lesion. The patient was started on voriconazole, and recovered with no recurrence at 18 months follow-up.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / isolation & purification*
  • Cough / etiology*
  • Hemoptysis / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Pulmonary Aspergillosis / complications*
  • Pulmonary Aspergillosis / drug therapy
  • Recurrence
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / complications*
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / drug therapy
  • Tuberculosis, Pulmonary / physiopathology
  • Voriconazole / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • Voriconazole