Surgery for pulmonary aspergillosis.

OBJECTIVE

Surgery of pulmonary aspergillosis followed by higher incidence of post-operative complications. This was the purpose to evaluate our material.

METHODS

Between January 1983 and December 1995, the operation was carried out on a total of 84 patients for pulmonary aspergillosis. The patients were comprised of 71 males and 13 females, with a mean age of 49 years (range, 24-71). Previous lung disorders were observed in about half of the cases (most frequently tuberculosis), while in the other half aspergillosis was developed on the basis of (sub)-acute infections. Haemoptysis was present in 48% of patients. The diagnosis was suspected in 47 cases by chest X-ray. Aspergilloma was diagnosed in 50 patients pre-operatively (excluding 12 typical aspergillomas for cavernostomies), with the other pre-operative diagnoses being tuberculosis, lung cancer, pyoscelrosis, etc.

RESULTS

In 71 cases pulmonary resection was carried out (52 lobectomies, 13 wedge resections and six pulmonectomies). A total of 12 cavities were opened by cavernostomy and one lung biopsy was performed for disseminated lung disease. The post-operative mortality rate was 9.5%. The most common complications were bleeding, empyema, bronchial fistula and wound infection. In 23 patients with developed prolonged air leak and/or residual air space, complications were observed more frequently in patients with greater cavitation near the chest wall.

CONCLUSIONS

In most cases of pulmonary aspergilloma surgical intervention remains the only effective therapy. The operation has a lower risk factor in asymptomatic patients and in patients without pleural or chest wall involvement. In some cases, cavernostomy may be the only remaining surgical choice.