OBJECTIVESTo study the clinical characteristics of hepatic failure with aspergillosis.

METHODSThe data of hepatic failure patients with fungal infection hospitalized in our hospital form January 1985 to June 2006 were collected. This research mainly focused on the clinical characteristics of the patients co-infected with aspergillosis.

RESULTSThe occurrence of aspergillosis was 20.5% (104 cases) among 507 hepatic failure patients with fungal infection. Compared with other fungal infection in hepatic failure patients, the effective rate of antifungal therapy and the improvement rate of underlying disease were worse in patients with aspergillus infection (36.5% vs 57.8%, P = 0.000; 26.0% vs 36.7%, P = 0.049). Aspergillus fumigatus was the most common species among 108 fungal species. The species next to Aspergillus fumigatus were Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. The mainly infected organ was lung and its clinical manifestation was atypical. Liver function could be improved with effective anti-fungus therapy.

CONCLUSIONSDiagnosis and treatment of aspergillosis is difficult in hepatic failure patients co-infected with aspergillosis. Early and effective antifungal therapy is helpful to the recovery of liver function in the hepatic failure patients suspected with aspergillosis co-infection.