[A report of seven cases of pulmonary sequestration complicated by aspergillosis and literature review].

OBJECTIVE

Pulmonary sequestration (PS) is a rare disease, and its clinical symptoms are usually related to subsequent pulmonary infections. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of PS complicated by aspergillosis, and reviewed related literature, so as to disclose the association between these two diseases.

METHODS

Sixty-nine patients with surgery-confirmed PS in Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1990 and December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed, including seven cases complicated by aspergillosis. Clinical manifestation, imaging and surgery of these patients were analyzed. Literature focusing on PS complicated by aspergillosis in pubmed data base was reviewed.

RESULTS

In these seven patients, four cases were male, and three cases were female. Age at diagnosis ranged from 29 to 58 years old. The interval from onset to definite diagnosis ranged from two weeks to 20 years. Clinical symptoms included productive cough in seven cases, hemoptysis in three cases, chest pain in two cases, and fever in one case. All cases were intralobar PS with four in the left lower lobe and three in the right lower lobe. Consolidation in chest CT was noted in six cases. Cavitation was positive in three cases. Surgery of lung lobe resection was performed in all patients. Aberrant arteries were found during operation with the origin from aortic artery in four cases, phrenic artery in two cases, and intercostal artery in one case. Aspergillosis was diagnosed by pathology in six cases and by lung tissue culture in one case.

CONCLUSIONS

PS complicated by aspergillosis is extremely rare, but the trend of an increase in recent years has been noted. Strict and cautious examinations for microorganisms and pathology will help find relatively insidious aspergillosis.