High resolution computed tomography angiography improves the radiographic diagnosis of invasive mold disease in patients with hematological malignancies.

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) may improve the diagnostic capabilities of CT imaging for invasive mold disease, but its performance relative to other signs (ie, halo sign, hypodense sign, pleural effusion, reversed halo sign) is unknown.

METHODS

We prospectively compared the diagnostic performance of CTPA vs other CT imaging findings in 100 patients with hematological malignancies and possible invasive mold disease defined by EORTC/MSG criteria. After undergoing extensive diagnostic work-up, patients were upgraded to probable or proven mold disease based on galactomannan antigen, culture or histology; or remained as possible mold disease if an alternative diagnosis could not be established.

RESULTS

In total, 46 /100 patients who underwent CTPA were upgraded to probable or proven mold disease. Excluding 8 CTPA cases that were nonevaluable by the radiologist, a positive occlusion sign identified by CTPA was 100% sensitive for the diagnosis of probable or proven mold disease (41/41). Among patients who could not be upgraded from the possible mold disease category (n = 51), 25 (49%) had evidence of vessel occlusion by CTPA with only one positive patient eventually reaching an alternative diagnosis (Staphylococcus aureus septic thrombosis). Intravenous and/or oral antifungal therapy was stopped earlier in patients with a negative vs positive CTPA results (P ≤ .001).

CONCLUSIONS

Vessel occlusion detected by CTPA is a more sensitive and possibly more specific radiographic sign vs other common CT findings of invasive mold disease in patients with hematological malignancies.