Abstract

ARCE M, Alicia; GUILLERMO A, Juan; TORRES C, Julio  and  CASQUERO C, José. Aspergiloma Pulmonar en el Hospital de Apoyo Departamental de Ica - Perú. 2000 - 2001. Rev. perú. med. exp. salud publica [online]. 2002, vol.19, n.4, pp.197-201. ISSN 1726-4634.

A high percentage of Peruvian population bearing residual lung cavities can shelter a fungal ball known as Aspergiloma. Objective: To determine the ethiological agents producing aspergilomas and to compare the immunodiffusion diagnostic test with serial sputum culture. Material and methods: Patients from the Ica Regional Hospital Tuberculosis Control Program with a clinical condition resembling pulmonary TB as well as clinical and radiological signs suggesting aspergillosis were included in this research. Laboratory diagnosis was performed through serial consecutive sputum cultures in Dextrose Sabouraud Agar (ASD) with Cloramphenicol, aspergillus and precipitins were detected using immunodiffusion test (ID). Results: Twenty patients were studied, 70% (14/20) showed pulmonary aspergiloma. Aspergillus fumigatus (50%) and Aspergillus niger (14,5%) were the most frequent causative agent found. ID showed 71% sensitivity (increasing to 82% when the specific antigen was used) and 100% specificity. Conclusions: Aspergillus fumigatus was the agent most commonly found in this research and the immunodifussion test proved to be useful as a diagnostic test for pulmonary aspergiloma. ID test improves its sensitivity when specific antigens are used in it, for this reason we are considering the use of specific antigens from autoctonous Aspergillus strains for the immunodifussion test. More studies of prevalence and diagnostic methods for this disease should be performed.

Keywords : Aspergillosis; Fungal lung diseases; immunodiffusion.

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