National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Aspergillosis


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Aspergillosis is an infection, growth, or allergic response caused by the Aspergillus fungus.[1] There are several different kinds of aspergillosis. One kind is allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (also called ABPA), a condition where the fungus causes allergic respiratory symptoms similar to asthma, such as wheezing and coughing, but does not actually invade and destroy tissue.[2][1] Another kind of aspergillosis is invasive aspergillosis. This infection usually affects people with weakened immune systems due to cancer, AIDS, leukemia, organ transplantation, chemotherapy, or other conditions or events that reduce the number of normal white blood cells. In this condition, the fungus invades and damages tissues in the body.[2][1] Invasive aspergillosis most commonly affects the lungs, but can also cause infection in many other organs and can spread throughout the body (commonly affecting the kidneys and brain).[3] Aspergilloma, a growth (fungus ball) that develops in an area of previous lung disease such as tuberculosis or lung abscess, is a third kind of aspergillosis.[1] This type of aspergillosis is composed of a tangled mass of fungus fibers, blood clots, and white blood cells. The fungus ball gradually enlarges, destroying lung tissue in the process, but usually does not spread to other areas.[3]
Last updated: 10/2/2013
If the infection is widespread or the person appears seriously ill, treatment is started immediately.[3] Voriconazole is currently first-line treatment for invasive aspergillosis and is usually given intravenously.[2][1] There are other antifungal drugs that can be used to treat invasive aspergillosis in patients who cannot take voriconazole or who have not responded to voriconazole. These include itraconazole, lipid amphotericin formulations, caspofungin, micafungin, and posaconazole. Whenever possible, immunosuppressive medications should be discontinued or decreased.[2][3]

A fungus ball usually does not require treatment unless bleeding into the lung tissue is associated with the infection, then surgery is required. Antifungal agents do not help people with allergic aspergillosis. Allergic aspergillosis is treated with prednisone taken by mouth.[1]
Last updated: 10/2/2013

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Aspergillosis. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • You can obtain information on this topic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC is recognized as the lead federal agency for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health, and health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States.
  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition for patients and caregivers. 
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Aspergillosis. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • I have a close relative affected by aspergillosis. Can you tell me if there are any new treatments on the horizon for this condition? See answer


  1. Aspergillosis. MedlinePlus. June 9, 2011; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001326.htm. Accessed 10/2/2013.
  2. Aspergillosis (Aspergillus). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). May 6, 2013; http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/aspergillosis/index.html. Accessed 10/2/2013.
  3. Aspergillosis. Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. October 2008; http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec17/ch197/ch197b.html. Accessed 10/2/2013.