Surgical treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma: a series of 72 cases.
BACKGROUND
The objective of this study was to evaluate the immediate and long-term result of resectional surgery in pulmonary aspergilloma.


METHODS
Seventy-two patients who underwent pulmonary resectional surgery for symptomatic aspergilloma between 1990 to 2002 were studied. Seventy-nine definitive operations were carried out, including one bilateral lobectomy for recurrent lesions and six thoracoplasties to deal with post-operative complications, besides 21 pneumonectomies and 51 lobectomies. There were 10 bilobectomies as well, included in the lobectomy group.


RESULTS
At a mean follow-up of 3.5 years, there were two post-operative deaths and a few complications occurred in 20 cases translating into a morbidity of 28.57% and a mortality of 2.77 percent. Major complications included were persistent air leak, persistent pleural space, empyema, bronchopleural fistula and massive haemorrhage. All events were seen in cases of complex aspergilloma; cases of simple aspergillomas had an uneventful course.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgery offers definitive and long-term symptom-free survival in cases of pulmonary aspergilloma at a negligible risk; though almost one-third of those undergoing surgery develop some complications, these are largely manageable.
Pratap
Himanshu
H
Department of Thoracic Surgery, LRS Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases, Mehrauli, New Delhi, India.
Dewan
R K
RK
Singh
L
L
Gill
S
S
Vaddadi
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001228:Aspergillosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008172:Lung Diseases, Fungal / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome