title: Treatment of invasive aspergillosis.
abstract: Invasive aspergillosis is generally a life-threatening invasive opportunistic mycosis affecting principally the upper and lower respiratory tract. Therapeutic response rates vary considerably from one host group to another with particularly high mortality rates in bone marrow transplant, liver transplant and patients with aplastic anaemia or AIDS. Only two drugs are useful for therapy, amphotericin and itraconazole. Recent advances in the formulation of amphoterin B (AmBisome and Amphocil) have resulted in intravenous preparations with lower toxicity, particularly nephrotoxicity, but it has yet to be shown that they have an increased therapeutic index for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis. Itraconazole can only be used orally and in some particularly high-risk or critically ill patients adequate serum concentrations cannot be achieved. The addition of flucytosine or rifampicin to amphotericin B therapy has, at best, only a marginal benefit. Surgery is essential for some manifestations of invasive aspergillosis. This article reviews therapeutic strategies including criteria for initiation of therapy, combination and sequential therapy, duration of therapy and secondary prophylaxis and indications for surgery in invasive aspergillosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine (Monsall Unit), North Manchester General Hospital, Crumpsall.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Denning
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D002788:Cholesterol Esters / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005437:Flucytosine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D016867:Immunocompromised Host; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D017964:Itraconazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008081:Liposomes; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D012293:Rifampin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D002788:Cholesterol Esters; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008081:Liposomes; C068538:liposomal amphotericin B; D017964:Itraconazole; D000666:Amphotericin B; D005437:Flucytosine; D012293:Rifampin