Pulmonary Aspergillosis

This is a comprehensive, in-depth presentation of pulmonary aspergillosis that takes into consideration recent advances in diagnosis and management. Aspergillus is an opportunistic fungus that is ubiquitous in nature and is unique in the spectrum of illness that it may cause. These may range from fulminant invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) to chronic pulmonary infection to a hypersensitivity reaction in the form of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA).

IPA was primarily associated with severe immunocompromised diseases such as leukemia or bone marrow transplantation and diagnosis and management proved difficult. However, there have been significant advances in the diagnosis with the use of non-invasive biomarkers and in the management with more tolerable and effective antifungal agents. The COVID-19 pandemic has also played a role in making pulmonary aspergillosis much more prevalent with expanding risk factors across populations. This book aims to fill the gap and prepare clinicians to deal with this previously rare disease.

The text is divided into six sections. Expert authors start with the basics of microbiology, immunology, and pathology and then move on to clinical and diagnostic considerations. The text is then divided between IPA, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, and ABPA and the specific considerations of each are detailed. Finally, chapters cover specific and unique areas that complement the full understanding of this topic.           

The wide spectrum of conditions associated with pulmonary aspergillosis, the expanding risk factors and the improvement in the diagnosis and management of these conditions, make this entity relevant to all pulmonologists, intensivists, and infectious disease specialists rather than only those practicing in highly specialized centers.