Antemortem diagnosis of systemic aspergillosis: ten-year review and report of a case.

A review of the medical literature over the last ten years indicates the rarity of antemortem diagnosis and treatment of systemic aspergillosis despite its rapid increase in incidence in the United States. We report a case of systemic aspergillosis caused by Aspergillus flavus which was isolated from the blood of an immunosuppressed patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The fungus grew rapidly on brain-heart infusion medium and Sabouraud dextrose agar cultures. Autopsy examination of tissue and subsequent cultures confirmed the antemortem diagnosis.