Saprophytic aspergillosis(aspergilloma), a potentially life-threatening disease from the colonization of lung cavities by the ubiquitous fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, has been of surgical concern. Twelve patients with symptomatic aspergilloma
underwent
operative procedures at Pusan National University Hospital between January 1, 1984 and August 31, 1994. The mean age of the patients was 38.8 years and nine of them had hemoptysis; in two it was massive and life-threatening. Nine of the patients
had
underlying causes of cavitary lung disease and tuberculosis was the most common cause. Lobectomy was the most commonly performed procedure(in six). Several major complications including excessive bleeding (2), and pneumonia (2), and empyema with
bronchopleural fistula (1) occurred and one patient died(operative mortality=8.3%). There were no recurrent symptoms in any of the ll operative survivors suring ghe follow-up period. It is concluded that early, aggressive surgical intervention
can
provide definite cure in established aspergilloma, even with minimal symptoms.
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