A Case of Endobronchial Aspergilloma.

Kim, Sun Jong; Lee, Eung Jun; Lee, Tae Hoon; Yoo, Kwang Ha; Lee, Kye Young

doi:2006.61.1.60

Tuberc Respir Dis > Volume 61(1); 2006 > Article

Case Report

Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases 2006;61(1):60-64.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4046/trd.2006.61.1.60 Published online July 1, 2006.

A Case of Endobronchial Aspergilloma.

Sun Jong Kim, Eung Jun Lee, Tae Hoon Lee, Kwang Ha Yoo, Kye Young Lee

Department of Internal Medicine, Konkuk University Hospital School of Medicine, Konkuk University, Korea. kyleemd@kuh.ac.kr

Abstract

Pulmonary aspergillosis presents as the following three different types depending on the immune status of the host: invasive aspergillosis, allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), and aspergilloma. Aspergilloma develops as a result of an aspergillus growth inside a pre-existing lung cavity. However, endobronchial aspergilloma without a lung parenchymal lesion is quite rare. We encountered a case of endobronchial aspergilloma that developed in a healthy 75 year-old woman that led to necrotizing pneumonia of the right lower lobe. The chief complaints were fever, cough and yellowish sputum. The chest film revealed haziness with cavity-like shadows on the right lower lobe, and the chest CT scan showed endobronchial calcified density in the basal bronchus of the right lower lobe with peribronchial lymph node enlargement. Bronchoscopy revealed an obstruction of the basal orifice of the right lower lobe by blackish stone-like material, and the aspergilloma was confirmed by the bronchoscopic biopsy. The pneumonia improved after bronchoscopic removal of this lesion. We report this case along with a review of the relevant literature.

Key Words: Endobronchial aspergilloma, Bronchoscopy