[A case of allergic bronchopulmonary candidiasis treated with amphotericin B inhalation]

A 77-year-old man underwent emergency admission for nocturnal asthmatic attack. Although his asthmatic attack improved within a few days with treatment including systemic corticosteroid, bilateral recurrent infiltrative shadows developed in his chest roentgenogram in association with a further exacerbation of dyspnea. Various antibiotic agents were given; however, the pulmonary infiltration did not improve. He was transferred to our department with the diagnosis of intractable pneumonia. C. albicans was detected in the sputum, and both IgE antibody and precipitating antibody specific for C. albicans were positive. Immediate cutaneous reactivity to C. albicans was positive even with a million-fold dilution of antigen extract C. albicans was also detected in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. A diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary candidiasis was made. Chest roentgenographic findings as well as clinical symptoms improved with inhalation of 50 mg of amphotericin B.