Pulmonary Aspergillosis Silently Presenting as Pneumothorax in Children with Leukemia: A Report of Three Cases.

Abstract

Aspergillosis causes invasive pulmonary disease in patients with hematological malignancies. Children with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) usually have nonspecific radiographic findings unlike cavitary lesions commonly seen in adults. Pneumothorax due to rupture of peripheral fungal lesion may be a severe complication in patients with neutropenia. Here, we describe three children during induction chemotherapy for B-lymphoblastic leukemia with pneumothorax as a presenting feature of pulmonary aspergillosis.

Inappropriate treatment of pulmonary aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus flavus in susceptible pediatric patients: a case series

“…Shah et al . reported three children who developed pneumothorax as a presenting feature of PA during induction chemotherapy for leukemia [ 1 ]. The diagnosis of PA was based on clinical manifestations, radiology findings, and a serum galactomannan test in two cases, and in one case, a specimen obtained by needle aspiration.…”

“…Aspergillus species are commonly found in the environment, and inhaling their conidia can lead to invasive diseases in immunocompromised individuals, especially in pediatric patients [ 1 ]. Aspergillus flavus is a major contributor to life-threatening invasive aspergillosis (IA) in the Middle East, primarily affecting immunocompromised patients [ 2 , 3 ].…”