Aspergillus infections of the lung

In this article the three different manifestations of pulmonary aspergillosis are compared with each other: Bronchopulmonary aspergillosis, aspergilloma and invasive pulmonary aspergillosis, and their different clinical and radiological manifestations. In particular, invasive pulmonary aspergillosis - being a severe complication in immuno-suppressed patients whose defenses are weak - often presents diagnostic problems due to its initially mostly unspecific clinical and radiological signs. The late signs of a pulmonary aspergillus infection, such as formation of a cavern or the manifestation of the 'air crescent' sign, however, are seen only when the patient is just beginning to convalesce. (orig.)