Gaku Kuwabara1,2, Risa Sone2, Waki Imoto1,2, Kazushi Yamairi1, Wataru Shibata1, Kazuhiro Oshima1, Koichi Yamada1, Kazuhiro Yamada2, Tetsuya Watanabe2, Kazuhisa Asai2, Hiroaki Komatsu3, Nobuhiro Izumi3, Noritoshi Nishiyama3, Tomoya Kawaguchi2, Hiroshi Kakeya4. 1. Department of Infection Control Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. 2. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. 3. Department of General Thoracic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. 4. Department of Infection Control Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, 1-4-3, Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. kakeya@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Congenital bronchial atresia is a rare pulmonary abnormality characterized by the disrupted communication between the central and the peripheral bronchus and is typically asymptomatic. Although it can be symptomatic especially when infections occur in the involved areas, fungal infections are rare complications in patients with bronchial atresia. We report a case of congenital bronchial atresia complicated by a fungal infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old man with no previous history of immune dysfunction was brought to a nearby hospital and diagnosed with a left lung abscess. Although antimicrobial treatment was administered, it was ineffective, and he was transferred to our hospital. Since diagnostic imaging findings and bronchoscopy suggested congenital bronchial atresia and a fungal infection, he was treated with voriconazole and surgical resection was subsequently performed. A tissue culture detected Aspergillus fumigatus and histopathological findings were compatible with bronchial atresia. After discharge, he remained well and voriconazole was discontinued 5 months after the initiation of therapy. CONCLUSION: Bronchial atresia is a rare disease that is seldom complicated by a fungal infection, which is also a rare complication; however, physicians should consider fungal infections in patients with bronchial atresia who present with infections resistant to antimicrobial treatment.
BACKGROUND:Congenital bronchial atresia is a rare pulmonary abnormality characterized by the disrupted communication between the central and the peripheral bronchus and is typically asymptomatic. Although it can be symptomatic especially when infections occur in the involved areas, fungal infections are rare complications in patients with bronchial atresia. We report a case of congenital bronchial atresia complicated by a fungal infection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 30-year-old man with no previous history of immune dysfunction was brought to a nearby hospital and diagnosed with a left lung abscess. Although antimicrobial treatment was administered, it was ineffective, and he was transferred to our hospital. Since diagnostic imaging findings and bronchoscopy suggested congenital bronchial atresia and a fungal infection, he was treated with voriconazole and surgical resection was subsequently performed. A tissue culture detected Aspergillus fumigatus and histopathological findings were compatible with bronchial atresia. After discharge, he remained well and voriconazole was discontinued 5 months after the initiation of therapy. CONCLUSION:Bronchial atresia is a rare disease that is seldom complicated by a fungal infection, which is also a rare complication; however, physicians should consider fungal infections in patients with bronchial atresia who present with infections resistant to antimicrobial treatment.