Aspergillosis: from diagnosis to prevention (2010)

By: Alessandro Comarú Pasqualotto

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Synopsis: Aspergillosis is an infection or allergic response caused by the fungus Aspergillus. Aspergillus conidia are widely dispersed in the environment and can easily reach human lungs and/or paranasal sinuses: most people inhale Aspergillosis spores every day! The label Aspergillosis is used for several diverse clinical conditions. For instance, invasive Aspergillosis typically affects severely immunocompromised patients such as those with prolonged neutropenia or receiving therapy with steroids. On the other hand, allergic forms of Aspergillosis cause exuberant clinical syndromes that mostly affect patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. Slowly destructive lung diseases may also occur in the apparently immunocompentent host, especially in the context of previous damage to the lung architecture. These are difficult-to-diagnose infections, and diagnostic tests perform differently depending on the specific scenario. This book summarizes the current knowledge about Aspergillosis, covering: Epidemiology Pathogenesis Clinical manifestations Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Written by internationally respected authors, the information presented in this book adds for a better understanding of Aspergillosis by providing a comprehensive and clear overview of all aspects associated with this complex disease.