[Pulmonary disease after massive inhalation of Aspergillus niger]

A 60-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of fever, coughing, and dyspnea that developed after he entered a silo that had been filled with chips of wood in the preceeding 3 months. A chest X-ray film revealed bilateral ground-glass shadows. Histologic study of the lung showed a multifocal acute process; the alveoli and interstitial areas contained many fungal hyphae and spores. Cultures from both bronchoalveolar-lavage-fluid and the chips in the silo revealed Aspergillus niger. Serologic reactions were negative to 10 antigens known to induce hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Furthermore, the patient's serologic reaction to the extracts of fungi obtained from the bronchoalveolar-lavage-fluid was negative. The patients recovered quickly without steroid therapy. We believe that this patient's diseases was "organic dust toxic syndrome".