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[Myocardial involvement in invasive aspergillosis]

Rim Hadhri1, Leila Zemoura, Michèle Bernier

  • 1Service d'anatomie pathologique, hôpital Foch, Suresnes, France.

Annales De Pathologie
|December 17, 2009
PubMed

Insights

A Crohn's disease patient on corticosteroids developed fatal cardiac failure due to invasive aspergillosis manifesting as myocardial abscesses. This rare fungal infection, aspergillar myocarditis, is difficult to diagnose and often fatal.

Area of Science:

  • Medicine
  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Crohn's disease management often involves immunosuppressive therapy, including corticosteroids.
  • Disseminated aspergillosis is a severe opportunistic infection, particularly in immunocompromised individuals.

Observation:

  • A 48-year-old female patient with Crohn's disease treated with corticosteroids presented with severe, refractory cardiac failure.
  • Post-mortem examination revealed myocardial abscesses upon necropsy.

Findings:

  • Microscopic examination confirmed aspergillar myocarditis, a rare cardiac manifestation of invasive aspergillosis.
  • Aspergillar myocarditis is a fatal complication of disseminated aspergillosis, often diagnosed late and unresponsive to treatment.

Implications:

  • Highlights the potential for invasive fungal infections, specifically aspergillosis, to affect the myocardium in patients on long-term immunosuppression.
  • Underscores the diagnostic challenges and poor prognosis associated with aspergillar myocarditis, emphasizing the need for heightened clinical suspicion.

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