TY - JOUR AU - Tetikkurt, Cuneyt AU - Kubat, Bahar AU - Tetikkurt, Seza AU - Karakas, Gulsum PY - 2020/01/27 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - An atypical acute exacerbation of COPD due to Aspergillus fumigatus JF - Monaldi Archives for Chest Disease JA - Monaldi Arch Chest Dis VL - 90 IS - 1 SE - Pneumology - Case Reports DO - 10.4081/monaldi.2020.1155 UR - https://www.monaldi-archives.org/macd/article/view/1155 SP - AB - <p>A 64-year-old male with a history of stabile chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presented with increasing dyspnea and sputum for the last two months. Complete blood count showed WBC 14x103/ml, Hgb: 14.2 g/dL and eosinophilia. Blood biochemistry was normal. Chest x-ray showed hyperlucency while thorax computed tomography (CT) revealed obstructive lung disease and bronchiectasis. Pulmonary function tests demonstrated severe obstructive lung disease and a negative bronchoreversibility with a moderately reduced diffusing capacity/alveolar volume (DLCO/VA). ABG gases revealed significant hypoxemia. Sputum culture was negative. Total IgE was 1140 ng/ml. Aspergillus RAST, precipitins and aspergillusgalactomannan antigen were positive. CF genetic screening tests gave negative results. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis&nbsp; (ABPA) is a hypersensitivity reaction that occurs due to bronchial aspergillus colonization. It is most common in patients with asthma and cystic fibrosis. We present a COPD case with an acute exacerbation due to <em>Aspergillus fumigatus</em> that lead to an aberrant clinical profile unresponsive to conventional treatment. Clinicians should consider <em>Aspergillus fumigatus</em> as an etiologic agent in an atypical and severe COPD exacerbation.</p> ER -