title: Pleural aspergillosis complicated by recurrent pneumothorax: a case report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pneumothorax as the first symptom of pleural aspergillosis is rare.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 31-year-old asthmatic Chinese man presented with recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax and underwent lobectomy due to persistent air leakage. Aspergillus was detected histopathologically in the visceral pleural cavity. He was treated with itraconazole at 200 mg a day, and nine months later he had no recurrent pneumothorax or aspergillus infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recurrent pneumothorax may be a rare manifestation of aspergillus infection. Aspergillus species infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of recurrent pneumothorax patients, particularly those with chronic lung disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28th Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China. xielx@263.net.
authors.forename: Weihua
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Liang'an
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Lixin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie