Pleural aspergillosis complicated by recurrent pneumothorax: a case report.
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.
Zhang
Weihua
W
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Chinese PLA General Hospital, 28th Fuxing Road, Beijing, 100853, China. xielx@263.net.
Hu
Ye
Y
Chen
Liang'an
L
Gao
Jie
J
Xie
Lixin
L