İnönü Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Göğüs Cerrahisi AD, Malatya

Colonization of an existing intrapulmonary cavity with Aspergillus is called as Aspergilloma. Surgical treatment of Aspergilloma is recommended in asymptomatic patients since there is always a risk of sudden life-threatening hemoptysis. In contrary, surgical treatment of aspergilloma is disproved by same authors because of the high risk of morbidity and mortality. Four patients treated in our clinic are presented. All patients had hemoptysis, of whom three were serious. Three patients had history of tuberculosis and one had chronic liver disease. Chest radiogram and thoracic computed tomography revealed fungus ball in the cavity in all patients. Two patients were diagnosed with sputum smear and culture and one patient with fine needle aspiration biopsy preoperatively. We performed upper lobectomy in three patients the fourth patient was treated conservatively. Pathologic examination showed aspergillus fungus ball in all surgical patients. Morbidity included; incomplete re-expansion and upper residual pleural space in two patients and lower lobe atelectasis in one of them. Hemoptysis was not observed in any patient postoperatively. There was no serious morbidity, and no mortality in this small series of pulmonary aspergilloma treated with upper lobectomy, and control of hemoptysis was achieved in all. It can be concluded that pulmonary resection is a safe and an effective treatment mortality in pulmonary aspergilloma, and pulmonary resection may be performed in patients who can tolerate it.