title: Chronic necrotising pulmonary aspergillosis: an uncommon aetiology of pneumothorax.
abstract: Pneumothorax is a frequent cause of admission in an emergency department. It can be due to a leakage of air from an air-filled lung cavitation into the pleural space. We report the unusual case of pneumothorax in a patient with a pulmonary cavitary infectious process mimicking tuberculosis. A 30-year-old asthmatic man, treated for several years with low-dose inhaled corticosteroids, presented a complete left tension pneumothorax and chronic necrotising pulmonary aspergillosis that mimicked initial pulmonary tuberculosis. Antifungal treatment by voriconazole was started and continued for 1 year, with a favourable outcome. This case highlights that chronic necrotising pulmonary aspergillosis is a diagnosis that should be considered in patients with a clinical presentation of pulmonary tuberculosis or in patients experiencing pneumothorax, especially in the context of corticosteroid treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Réanimation Médicale, Groupement Hospitalier Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: François-Pierrick
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Desgranges
authors.affiliation: Department of Réanimation Médicale, Groupement Hospitalier Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hernu
authors.affiliation: Department of Pneumologie, Hôpital Louis Pradel, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Philit
authors.affiliation: Department of Réanimation Médicale, Groupement Hospitalier Edouard Herriot, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Argaud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009336:Necrosis; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D055732:Pulmonary Aspergillosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed