Pulmonary aspergillosis; allergic bronchopulmonary type

Alternative names:

allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis; aspergillosis - allergic bronchopulmonary

Definition:

An infection caused by a fungus that produces illness only in people who have pre-existing asthma or cystic fibrosis (cystic fibrosis is most commonly seen in children).

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Aspergillosis is caused by a fungus (aspergillus) that is commonly in the environment growing on dead leaves, stored grain, bird droppings, compost stacks, or other decaying vegetation.

It causes illness in 3 ways: as an allergic reaction in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis; as a colonization in an old healed lung cavity from previous disease such as tuberculosis or lung abscess where it produces a fungus ball called aspergilloma; and as an invasive infection with pneumonia that is spread to other parts of the body by the blood stream.

Allergic aspergillosis occurs most often in people 20 to 40 years old. The incidence is 4 out of 100,000 people.