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Aspergillus terreus Causing Probable Invasive Aspergillosis in a Patient with Cystic Fibrosis

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Abstract

Aspergillus terreus may colonize the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Whether this merits antifungal treatment is still unclear due to heterogeneous reports regarding its pathogenic potential. Although allergic manifestations are documented, invasive aspergillosis (IA) caused by A. terreus has not been described. We present here one case of probable IA caused by A. terreus, highlighting its role as an emerging agent of IA in CF patients. Voriconazole was effective, and the patient was healthy after 12 weeks of treatment. Serial determination of serum galactomannan level and periodic cultures from respiratory specimens may help in monitoring CF patients by identifying such pathogens. Further studies on the fungal species colonizing the CF airways are warranted, especially in India. This case report suggests A. terreus as a potential agent of IA which should not be ignored, particularly in this patient group.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Microbiology, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India

    Shreya Singh, Harsimran Kaur, Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy & Arunaloke Chakrabarti

  2. Department of Pediatrics, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India

    Meenu Singh

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  1. Shreya Singh
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  2. Harsimran Kaur
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  3. Meenu Singh
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  4. Shivaprakash M. Rudramurthy
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  5. Arunaloke Chakrabarti
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Correspondence to Harsimran Kaur.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Standards

This study was based on retrospective data analysis and did not include any intervention besides standard of care during hospitalization.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from the parents of the patient included in this study.

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Handling Editor: J.-P. Bouchara.

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Singh, S., Kaur, H., Singh, M. et al. Aspergillus terreus Causing Probable Invasive Aspergillosis in a Patient with Cystic Fibrosis. Mycopathologia 184, 151–154 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-018-0294-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11046-018-0294-1

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