Surgical treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis

폐 Aspergillosis 의 외과적 치료

Since tuberculosis was a common pulmonary disease in Korea, Aspergillosis was easily misdiagnosed as tuberculosis and an acute form of Aspergillosis was misinterpreted as pneumonia because of their similarities in the X-ray findings. This investigation is designed to illustrate the clinical features and preoperative diagnosis and surgical role in the management of this disease. In a retrospective review of operative cases from Jan. 1963 through Dec. 1983, 36 cases were analyzed. Peak age incidence lies in the 3rd decade [41.7%]. All cases had a history of treatment with antituberculous drugs under diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis and the most common chief complaint was hemoptysis [69.5%]. Only nine cases [25%] showed cavitary lesions with mycetoma and preoperative sputum study for fungus showed low positive valve [42.3%]. Anatomical location of lesion was located mainly upper lobe [66.7%] and most of cases were managed by lobectomy. We experienced 7 cases of complication; they were postoperative empyema, hepatic failure, esophageal varix bleeding. Postoperative pathologic findings showed that 29 cases [80.5%] were combined with tuberculosis 3 cases were combined with bronchiectasis and 4 cases were not combined with other disease. In conclusion, when the patient has a longstanding history of pulmonary tuberculosis and has a hemoptysis, he must be suspected fungus super infection. Resectional surgery is the treatment of choice for symptomatic localized disease and needed resection in asymptomatic patient to prevent possible fatal sequelae in the future.