[Invasive aspergillosis with an intrapulmonary fungus ball in childhood]

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Pediatric Oncology
• Radiology

Background:

• Invasive aspergillosis is a serious fungal infection often seen in immunocompromised patients, particularly those with leukemia.
• Diagnosing invasive aspergillosis can be challenging due to low sensitivity of traditional mycological and serological methods.

Observation:

• This report details the clinical and radiological findings in two pediatric leukemia patients diagnosed with invasive aspergillosis.
• The study highlights the difficulty in confirming the diagnosis through standard laboratory tests.

Findings:

• Radiological demonstration of an intrapulmonary "fungus ball" was key in diagnosing invasive aspergillosis in these cases.
• This imaging finding is particularly significant in immunocompromised hosts where the fungus is rarely detected by other means.

Implications:

• Radiological findings, specifically the "fungus ball" sign, are of significant clinical importance for early and accurate diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis.
• This underscores the role of advanced imaging in managing invasive fungal infections in pediatric oncology patients.