Surgery for pulmonary aspergillosis

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Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Surgery of pulmonary aspergillosis followed by higher incidence of post-operative complications. This was the purpose to evaluate our material. METHODS: Between January 1983 and December 1995, the operation was carried out on a total of 84 patients for pulmonary aspergillosis. The patients were comprised of 71 males and 13 females, witha mean age of 49 years (range, 24-71). Previous lung disorders were observed in about half of the cases (most frequently tuberculosis), while in the other half aspergillosis was developed on the basis of (sub)-acute infections. Haemoptysis was present in 48% of patients. The diagnosis was suspected in 47 cases by chest X-ray. Aspergilloma was diagnosed in 50 patients pre-operatively (excluding 12 typical aspergillomas for cavernostomies), with the other pre-operative diagnoses being tuberculosis,lung cancer, pyoscelrosis, etc. RESULTS: In 71 cases pulmonary resection was carried out (52 lobectomies, 13 wedge resections and six pulmonectomies). A total of 12 cavities were opened by cavernostomy and one lung biopsy was performed for disseminated lung disease. The post-operative mortality rate was 9.5%. The most common complications were bleeding, empyema, bronchial fistula and wound infection. In 23 patients with developed prolonged air leak and/or residual air space, complications were observed more frequently in patients with greater cavitation near the chest wall. CONCLUSIONS: In most cases of pulmonary aspergilloma surgical intervention remains the only effective therapy. The operation has a lower risk factor in asymptomatic patients and in patients without pleural orchest wall involvement. In some cases, cavernostomy may be the only remaining surgical choice.