Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Detection of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Haematological Malignancy Patients by using Lateral-flow Technology
Published on: March 22, 2012
False positivity for Aspergillus antigenemia related to the administration of piperacillin/tazobactam
Mine Durusu Tanriover1, Gökhan Metan, Belgin Altun
1Department of Internal Medicine, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, 06100, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey. mdurusu@hacettepe.edu.tr
Background:
Invasive aspergillosis is a challenge to the internist, and difficulties diagnosing the disease remain an everlasting problem.
Methods:
We reviewed the data of 65 patients with hematological malignancies and aplastic anemia who were tested for the galactomannan (GM) antigen of Aspergillus between March and November 2003.
Results:
GM antigen levels were false-positive in at least two consecutive samples in 5 out of 23 patients who did not have evidence of invasive aspergillosis (false positivity rate of 21.7%) but who received concomitant piperacillin/tazobactam (P/T) compared to 0 of 28 patients who did not.
Discussion:
The use of P/T in febrile, neutropenic patients decreases the specificity of GM antigen testing, which may lead to incorrect and unnecessary attempts at diagnosis and therapy.
Related Concept Videos
Atypical Pneumonia
Pulmonary Tuberculosis IV
Several diagnostic approaches are used to detect TB. The conventional method is the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST), also known as the Mantoux test. However, this method has...