Pulmonary oxalosis in pulmonary aspergillosis syndrome.

The presence of pulmonary oxalosis in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or biopsied tissue samples is considered pathognomonic for Aspergillus disease etiology. The finding of calcium oxalate crystals in the tissue samples infected with aspergillosis can serve as a vital diagnostic clue. Detection of calcium oxalate crystals is achievable within 24 hours by most hospital microbiology laboratories. It is much quicker than the time it takes to receive results of other tests like histopathology, sputum cultures, and aspergillus antigen assays. We present this case to emphasize the importance of pulmonary oxalosis as a crucial early diagnostic factor in pulmonary aspergillosis syndromes.