Aspergillus pneumonia in hematologic malignancy. Improvements in diagnosis and therapy
Pennington, J.E.
Archives of Internal Medicine 137(6): 769-771
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-9926 PMID: 869647 Document Number: 113431
Pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with leukemia or lymphoma is usually a fatal infection. However, difficulty in obtaining a premortem diagnosis has often prevented an adequate trial of anti-fungal chemotherapy. In this report, nine cases of aspergillus pneumonia in patients with hematologic malignancy were diagnosed during a one-year period. Five of nine patients had a premortem diagnosis (56%) and eight of nine (89%) received a premortem trial of amphotericin B. Two of nine patients survived infection, including one patient with prolonged neutropenia. Better diagnostic methods and wider use of antifungal chemotherapy may improve prognosis for aspergillus infection in patients with hematologic malignancy.