Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis update: A year in review

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is an uncommon, slowly destructive pulmonary disease characterized by progressive cavitation, fibrosis, and pleural thickening. CPA is usually seen in immunocompetent individuals with underlying respiratory disorders. Estimates suggest that up to 3 million people are affected worldwide causing high rates of morbidity and mortality. Pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) seems to be the most relevant driver for the global burden of CPA with estimates suggesting about 1.2 million patients with CPA as a sequel to TB. Diagnosis of CPA is often challenging and delayed and should be based upon a combination of characteristics. The first guidelines for the diagnosis and management of CPA were published in 2016 jointly by the European Society for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), and the European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM). CPA continues to receive significant public attention, which resulted in almost 150 newly published papers during 2017. The aim of this mini-review is to highlight the most important published papers from January 2017 to April 2018 to provide an update on current developments in the field of CPA.