Disseminated invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient

Abstract

Disseminated invasive aspergillosis in an immunocompetent patient A 57-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for progressive hypoxic respiratory failure that developed after 10 days of empiric treatment at another hospital for an exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Computed tomography (CT) showed a lesion in the upper lobe of the left lung, with new ground-glass opacities with cystic and cavitary changes raising concern for an infl ammatory or infectious cause (Figure 1). Respiratory culture of expectorated secretions grew Aspergillus. Assays for beta-d-glucan and serum Aspergillus immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies were positive, although given the improvement in her oxygenation requirements and