Background: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) are characterized by hyper-responsiveness of the respiratory tract and the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses, respectively to Aspergillus species and AFRS causes chronic rhinosinusitis. Herein, we report the first case of sinobronchial allergic mycosis (SAM) syndrome, defined as ABPA with concomitant AFRS, caused by Aspergillus fumigatus patient > 80 years.
Case presentation: An 82-year-old male with interstitial pneumonia who returned for follow-up exhibited high-attenuation mucus plug in the right intermediate bronchial trunk, infiltration in the right lung field, and right pleural effusion on regular chest computed tomography (CT). We found unilateral central bronchiectasis in the right upper lobe. Similarly, CT scan of the paranasal sinuses revealed high-attenuation mucus plugs in left ethmoid sinuses. Biopsy specimens from the plugs in the right intermediate bronchial trunk and the left ethmoid sinuses revealed allergic mucin with layers of mucus eosinophils, eosinophil-predominant mixed inflammatory cell infiltrate and Aspergillus hyphae. The patient fulfilled all the major criteria for ABPA and AFRS, and was diagnosed with SAM syndrome. CT scan of the lung and paranasal sinuses revealed apparent amelioration after oral steroid therapy.
Conclusion: Despite mostly reported in relatively young patients, SAM syndrome can occur in elderly individuals as well.