A Case of Pulmonary Embolism Caused by Aspergillus in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
- Author:
Hyun Mi KIM
1
;
Bo Ra SOHN
;
Pil Sang JANG
;
Soh Yeon KIM
;
Nak Gyun CHUNG
;
Bin CHO
;
Dae Chul JEONG
;
Hack Ki KIM
Author Information
1. Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. cngped@cmc.cuk.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Pulmonary embolism;
Aspergillosis;
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- MeSH:
Adolescent;
Amphotericin B;
Aspergillosis;
Aspergillus*;
Cause of Death;
Child*;
Dyspnea;
Early Diagnosis;
Embolectomy;
Female;
Fever;
Humans;
Hypertension, Pulmonary;
Korea;
Mortality;
Neutropenia;
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*;
Pulmonary Embolism*;
Radiography, Thoracic;
Tachypnea;
Thorax
- From:Korean Journal of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology
2001;8(2):366-371
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Pulmonary embolism is not a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with or without malignancies. Pulmonary embolism should be ruled out when sudden tachypnea and pulmonary hypertension develop in leukemic children, and chest radiograph shows no or minimal abnormalities. A 14-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia was admitted due to neutropenic fever and dyspnea. Chest computed tomography and ventilation/perfusion scan showed pulmonary embolism, and embolectomy revealed aspergillosis. Invasive aspergillosis is the major opportunistic fungal pathogen in neutropenic patient and an important cause of death. The critical elements of successful management of invasive aspergillosis complicating neutropenia and pulmonary embolism are early diagnosis, initiation of aggressive doses of amphotericin B, reversal of immune suppression and feasible surgical resection of the lesions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pulmonary embolism caused by Aspergillus in an immunocompromised setting in Korea and we present a case report with a brief review.
