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Background: Aspergillus nodules are classified as a subset of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. The optimal management approach is not known as their natural evolution following biopsy, the rate of progression to chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) and the effect of antifungal treatment have not been described. Objectives: To describe the clinical course of patients diagnosed with Aspergillus nodules and the effect of antifungal treatment. Patients/Methods: We present a series of 23 patients with histologically confirmed Aspergillus nodules and describe serial imaging, antifungal treatment and progression to other diagnoses. Results: Thirteen patients were diagnosed after a CT‐guided biopsy and 10 after surgical resection. Among those who had CT‐guided biopsy, 8 did not receive antifungal treatment; the nodule was stable or smaller in all cases on subsequent CT scan after a mean of 15.5 months. However, one patient developed squamous cell carcinoma after 16 months and another developed CCPA after 7 months. Among the 5 patients who received antifungals for at least 4 weeks, the nodule was smaller in 1 and stable in 4. One patient developed CCPA 3 years after the biopsy. No patient who had a surgical resection subsequently had a CCPA diagnosis. Conclusion: Most Aspergillus nodules remained stable or improved following biopsy, irrespective of the effect of antifungals. However, CCPA can develop occasionally in patients with Aspergillus nodules and ongoing radiological follow‐up may be warranted when the nodule is not resected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus nodules (AN) are an unusual form of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. On the other hand, pulmonary nodular lymphoid hyperplasia (PNLH) is classified as a reactive pulmonary lymphoproliferative disorder. A 65-year-old male was referred to our hospital due to a nodule in the left upper lobe. Histologically, a mixture of prominent lymphoid follicular formation, and hyaline necrosis were observed. Grocott staining revealed morphological forms of Aspergillus spp. in the necrosis. The final clinical diagnosis was suspected AN histologically consistent with PNLH. This case suggests that there may be PNLH cases in which local infection with Aspergillus contributes to its pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is estimated to affect 3 million people worldwide making it an under recognised, but significant health problem across the globe, conferring significant morbidity and mortality. With variable disease forms, high levels of associated respiratory co-morbidity, limited therapeutic options and prolonged treatment strategies, CPA is a challenging disease for both patients and healthcare professionals. CPA can mimic smear-negative tuberculosis (TB), pulmonary histoplasmosis or coccidioidomycosis. Cultures for Aspergillus are usually negative, however, the detection of Aspergillus IgG is a simple and sensitive test widely used in diagnosis. When a fungal ball/aspergilloma is visible radiologically, the diagnosis has been made late. Sometimes weight loss and fatigue are predominant symptoms; pyrexia is rare. Despite the efforts of the mycology community, and significant strides being taken in optimising the care of these patients, much remains to be learnt about this patient population, the disease itself and the best use of available therapies, with the development of new therapies being a key priority. Here, current knowledge and practices are reviewed, and areas of research priority highlighted.

Aspergillus nodules represent a subtype of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, but details on their characteristics and outcomes are limited. We evaluated 80 patients with pathologically confirmed Aspergillus nodules between January 2009 and December 2016. The median age of the patients was 59 years, and 46 (58%) were women. Seventy-three (91%) patients were surgically diagnosed with Aspergillus nodules and the remaining seven (9%) patients were diagnosed by percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy. The median long-axis diameter of nodules was 22 mm, and nodules had an internal cavity in 49 (61%) patients. Spiculation and calcification were observed in 20% and 39% of patients, respectively. Ninety percent (18/20) of nodules showed uptake on positron emission tomography. Serum Aspergillus precipitin IgG antibody was positive in 42% (10/24) of tested patients. Seventy-three (91%) patients underwent surgery without (n = 58) or with (n = 15) adjuvant antifungal therapy, and the remaining seven (9%) patients received antifungal therapy alone (n = 5) or no treatment (n = 2). Three patients experienced postoperative pulmonary complications: pneumothorax, hemoptysis, and acute lung injury (n = 1 each). There was no recurrence during the median follow-up period of 36.8 months. In conclusion, surgery could be a treatment strategy worth considering for most Aspergillus nodules. However, given that our study population was heterogeneous, further well-designed studies are need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]