Surgical treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma: current outcome

This retrospective study was designed to confirm that aggressive pulmonary resection can provide effective long-term palliation of disease for patients with pulmonary aspergilloma.

From 1959 to 1998, 84 patients underwent a total of 90 operations for treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma in the Marie-Lannelongue Hospital. The mean follow-up period was 9 years, and 83% of the patients were followed up for 5 years or until death, if the latter occurred earlier. The median age was 44 years. The most common indications were hemoptysis (66%) and sputum production (15%). Fifteen patients (18%) had no symptoms. Tuberculosis and lung abscess were the most common underlying causes of lung disease (65%). The procedures were 70 lobar or segmental resections, 8 cavernostomies, and 7 pneumonectomies. Five thoracoplasties were required after lobectomy (3 patients) or pneumonectomy (2 patients). The operative mortality rate was 4%. The major complications were bleeding (23 patients), prolonged air leak (31 patients), respiratory failure (10 patients), and empyema (5 patients). The actuarial survival curve showed 84% survival at 5 years and 74% survival at 10 years. During the first 2 years, death was related to the surgical procedure and the underlying disease. In contrast, 85% of the survivors had a good late result.

Lobar resection in both the symptomatic and the asymptomatic patients was conducted in low-risk settings. For patients whose condition is unfit for pulmonary resection, cavernostomy may need to be undertaken despite the high operative risk. The better survival rate in this study may have been due to the selection of patients with better lung function and localized pulmonary disease.