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Published on: March 9, 2018

Successful treatment of brain aspergillosis with voriconazole

P Tattevin1, F Bruneel, F Lellouche

  • 1Infectious Diseases and Intensive Care Unit, Pontchaillou Hospital, Rennes, France. pierre.tattevin@chu-rennes.fr

Clinical Microbiology and Infection : the Official Publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
|September 18, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Brain aspergillosis, a fungal infection, has a poor prognosis. However, reducing immunosuppression and using prolonged azole therapy improved survival rates in a small group of patients.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Brain aspergillosis historically has a very high mortality rate.
  • Limited treatment options and poor response rates (<10%) to conventional therapies like amphotericin B were previously reported.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze treatment outcomes and survival rates in patients with brain aspergillosis.
  • To identify potential factors influencing prognosis in this severe opportunistic infection.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of eight consecutive cases of brain aspergillosis.
  • Review of patient demographics, clinical presentation, immunosuppression status, and antifungal treatments received.

Main Results:

  • Three out of eight (38%) immunosuppressed patients survived.
  • Survivors received prolonged oral azole therapy after initial amphotericin B and had reduced immunosuppression.

Conclusions:

  • Reducing immunosuppression and utilizing extended oral azole therapy may improve survival in brain aspergillosis.
  • This approach offers a potential strategy to improve the prognosis of this life-threatening fungal infection.

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