MORPHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE CLINICAL COURSE OF INVASIVE PULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS

Abstract

Aspergillosis is the collective term used to describe all disease entities caused by any one of ~35 pathogenic and allergenic species of Aspergillus. Only those species that grow at 37°C can cause invasive infection, although some species without this capability can cause allergic syndromes. A. fumigatus is responsible for most cases of invasive aspergillosis, almost all cases of chronic aspergillosis, and most allergic syndromes. A. flavus is more prevalent in some hospitals and causes a  higher proportion of cases of sinus and cutaneous infection and keratitis than A. fumigatus. A. niger can cause invasive infection but more commonly colonizes the respiratory tract and causes external otitis.A.terreus causes only invasive disease, usually with a poor prognosis. A. nidulans occasionally causes invasive infection, primarily in patients with chronic granulomatous disease.