Small bowel infarction by Aspergillus

Haematologica. 1997 Mar-Apr;82(2):182-3.

Abstract

Primary gut involvement by Aspergillus is a rare and often fatal complication of intensive antileukemic therapy. We describe the case of an adult patient affected by acute leukemia who developed a small bowel fungal thromboembolism without radiographic evidence of lung involvement during the post-induction aplastic phase. The diagnosis was made histologically at laparotomy performed for small bowel perforation. The patient died a week later in spite of amphotericin-B treatment and neutrophil recovery. Anti-Aspergillus prophylaxis and early introduction of amphotericin-B in the treatment of febrile neutropenia is probably advisable in all cases of AML.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Aspergillosis / complications*
  • Aspergillus*
  • Fatal Outcome
  • Humans
  • Infarction / etiology*
  • Infarction / microbiology
  • Intestinal Perforation / etiology*
  • Intestinal Perforation / microbiology
  • Intestine, Small / microbiology
  • Intestine, Small / pathology*
  • Leukemia, Myeloid / complications*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged