Invasive Aspergillosis

People get medicines before a transplant to get the body ready. These medicines cause neutropenia.Some people take high doses of steroid medicines after a transplant. Doctors give these medicines if the transplant is attacking the person's own cells. This is called "graft versus host disease " пїЅ or "GVHD. " пїЅ The steroid medicines that treat GVHD can make it hard for the body to fight infection.An organ transplant " пїЅ This can include a heart, lung, or liver transplant. The medicines you take to keep the transplant healthy make you more likely to get infections.Taking high doses of steroid medicines " пїЅ These are not the same as the steroids athletes take to build muscle. Doctors give these steroids to treat certain diseases. People who have an organ transplant usually have to take steroids. But people with other conditions sometimes do, too. Invasive aspergillosis usually affects the lungs. But it can also get into the bloodstream and spread to other organs. These include the heart, brain, and digestive system. Invasive aspergillosis is a serious infection. It can even cause death. пїЅ пїЅ

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Invasive aspergillosis usually affects the lungs. But it can also get into the bloodstream and spread to other organs. These include the heart, brain, and digestive system. Invasive aspergillosis is a serious infection. It can even cause death. пїЅ пїЅ

What are the symptoms of invasive aspergillosis? " пїЅ Symptoms in the lungs can include: пїЅ пїЅ

Fever
Chest pain " пїЅ This can be a sharp, stabbing pain that gets worse when you breathe in.
Being short of breath " пїЅ You might feel like you cannot get enough air or have to work harder than usual to breathe.
Cough " пїЅ Some people cough up mucus or blood.
Feeling tired

Symptoms in other parts of the body can include: пїЅ пїЅ

Stuffy nose, fever, and pain in the face
Eye pain, vision problems, or bulging or swollen eyes
Seizures " пїЅ These are jerking or twitching movements a person cannot control.
Rash with spots " пїЅ The center of the spots might be black.

Will I need tests? " пїЅ Yes. Your doctor or nurse will do an exam and learn about your symptoms. He or she will also do tests to look for signs of the fungus that causes invasive aspergillosis. These can include: пїЅ пїЅ

Blood tests
Tests on a sample of mucus that you cough up
CT scan " пїЅ This imaging test uses a special X-ray to create pictures of the inside of the body.
MRI scan " пїЅ This imaging test uses powerful magnets to create pictures of the inside of the body. Invasive aspergillosis sometimes spreads to the brain. Your doctor can order this test to check if he or she thinks this is likely.
Bronchoscopy " пїЅ In this test, a doctor uses a thin tube with a camera on the end (called a "bronchoscope " пїЅ) to look inside the lungs. He or she can take samples of fluid and tissue from the lungs. Another doctor will look at the samples for signs of invasive aspergillosis. You might have this test if other tests do not show for sure that you have aspergillosis.

How is invasive aspergillosis treated? " пїЅ Treatments include: пїЅ пїЅ

Medicines to kill the fungus that causes aspergillosis " пїЅ These medicines are called "antifungals. " пїЅ They are often given through an "IV, " пїЅ a thin tube that goes into a vein. Some people can take pills by mouth.
Taking less of any medicines that make it hard for the immune system to work correctly " пїЅ You can do this if your doctor thinks this is safe.
Doing surgery to take out infected or dead tissue " пїЅ Doctors sometimes need to do this if aspergillosis affects the sinuses. The sinuses are hollow areas in the bones of the face.

Depending on your situation, you might take medicines to kill the fungus for several months or even years. пїЅ пїЅ

Can invasive aspergillosis be prevented? " пїЅ Sometimes. If you have a high risk of getting invasive aspergillosis, your doctor might give you an antifungal medicine to help prevent it. But the medicines can cause side effects or lead to infection with fungi that are resistant to the antifungal medicine, so they might not be appropriate for you unless you are at high risk. пїЅ пїЅ

All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete. пїЅ пїЅ

This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Nov 04, 2014. пїЅ пїЅ

Topic 83434 Version 5.0 пїЅ пїЅ

Release: 22.8 - C22.208 пїЅ пїЅ

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Invasive Aspergillosis

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