Pulmonary Aspergillosis / 대한의진균학회지

ABSTRACT

Aspergillus is a ubiquitous fungus which is found in soil, composed piles, and even in the air. It causes various clinical syndromes, which are mainly determined by the immunocompetence of host; simple colonization in normal person, aspergilloma in patients with lung cavities (e.g. after tuberculosis), chronic necrotizing pneumonia in mildly immunocompromised hosts (e.g. DM or alcoholics) or those who have chronic lung diseases, invasive aspergillosis which is severe and commonly fatal in immunocompromised patients. It may cause hypersensitivity reaction; IgE-mediated asthma, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis), allergic Aspergillus sinusitis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA). It is essential for clinicians to be familiar with the spectrum of Aspergillus-related clinical syndromes. After a brief review of each clinical syndrome, ABPA that is a typical allergic disease was reviewed in detail.