Search

Background: Long-term antifungal therapy is usually the only treatment option for chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. However, response rates are difficult to compare because the reported clinical, mycologic, or radiologic criteria are not standardized. Objective parameters are therefore needed. To define the most relevant CT imaging variables in assessment of response to treatment, we investigated changes over time in CT imaging variables., Methods: Changes in CT imaging variables were assessed by systematic analysis of the CT scan findings of 36 patients at diagnosis and 6 months after initiation of treatment. The relevant radiologic variables were determined by selecting those showing significant changes over time. Two experienced thoracic radiologists, blinded for clinical and serologic response, independently performed CT scan analyses. Interreader agreement and concordance between radiologic and clinical response were evaluated., Results: Of the 36 patients, seven experienced clinical deterioration while undergoing therapy. Significantly evolving radiologic variables included cavity and pleural wall thickening (P < .05), which were associated with clinical improvement. There was a strong association between fungus ball disappearance and cavity/pleural wall thickening reduction and clinical improvement (P = .04). There was poor agreement between size changes of cavities or nodules, and clinical evolution (Cohen's κ, -0.13 to -0.24)., Conclusions: Variations in cavity and pleural wall thickness may be the most relevant CT imaging variables for assessing response to treatment. Loss of fungus ball is strongly associated with clinical and radiologic improvement, but cavity size changes are unrelated to chronic pulmonary aspergillosis evolution. All these CT imaging variables may be applied in future clinical trials to assess treatment outcome., (Copyright © 2016 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) affects individuals with non-systemic or mildly systemic immunodepression or altered pulmonary integrity due to underlying disease. It has been reported with a variety of clinical and radiological patterns. The condition should be distinguished from simple aspergilloma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis as well as invasive aspergillosis in severely immunocompromised patients. CPA generally requires long-term antifungal treatment and surgery may be considered. Life-threatening haemoptysis may be prevented by bronchial arteriography with embolisation. However, currently there are no documented treatment recommendations for CPA. This review provides an up-to-date practical overview of this condition, including a comprehensive update on diagnosis and management.

One of the major challenges in managing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis remains consistent and reproducible assessment of response to treatment. What are the most relevant changes in CT scan parameters over time for assessing response to treatment? In this ancillary study of a randomized clinical trial (NebuLamB), patients with asthma with available CT scan and without exacerbation during a 4-month allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis exacerbation treatment period (corticosteroids and itraconazole) were included. Changed CT scan parameters were assessed by systematic analyses of CT scan findings at initiation and end of treatment. CT scans were assessed by two radiologists anonymized to the clinical data. Radiologic parameters were determined by selecting those showing significant changes over time. Improvement of at least one, without worsening of the others, defined the radiologic response. Agreement between radiologic changes and clinical and immunologic responses was likewise investigated. Among the 139 originally randomized patients, 132 were included. We identified five CT scan parameters showing significant changes at end of treatment: mucoid impaction extent, mucoid impaction density, centrilobular micronodules, consolidation/ground-glass opacities, and bronchial wall thickening (P <.05). These changes were only weakly associated with one another, except for mucoid impaction extent and density. No agreement was observed between clinical, immunologic, and radiologic responses, assessed as an overall response, or considering each of the parameters (Cohen κ, −0.01 to 0.24). Changes in extent and density of mucoid impaction, centrilobular micronodules, consolidation/ground-glass opacities, and thickening of the bronchial walls were found to be the most relevant CT scan parameters to assess radiologic response to treatment. A clinical, immunologic, and radiologic multidimensional approach should be adopted to assess outcomes, probably with a composite definition of response to treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT02273661; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the efficacy of voriconazole in the treating chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) in nonimmunocomprised patients. Twenty-four patients were included in the study, among which 9 patients presented with chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis and 15 presented with chronic necrotizing pulmonary aspergillosis. The study showed that voriconazole provides effective treatment of CPA with an acceptable level of toxicity.