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

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis



Other Names:
ABPA; Allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis; Aspergillosis, allergic bronchopulmonary; ABPA; Allergic bronchopulmonary mycosis; Aspergillosis, allergic bronchopulmonary; Hinson-Pepys disease See More
Categories:

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is an allergic lung reaction to a type of fungus (Aspergillus fumigatus).[1][2] Symptoms vary, but may include wheezing, bronchial hyperreactivity, hemoptysis, productive cough, low-grade fever, malaise, and weight loss.[2][3] It is more common in people who have asthma or cystic fibrosis.[1][2] The recommended treatment for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is itraconazole, a prescription antifungal medication. Oral corticosteroids, like prednisone, may also be helpful.[2][3] The clinical course of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is variable. Many people with this condition can be stabilized for long periods when treated. However, only about 50% of patients achieve long-lasting remission and many require recurrent courses of treatment.[2]
Last updated: 5/21/2015

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal eosinophil morphology 0001879
Asthma 0002099
Cough
Coughing
0012735
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Bronchiectasis
Permanent enlargement of the airways of the lungs
0002110
Cerebral cortical atrophy
Decrease in size of the outer layer of the brain due to loss of brain cells
0002120
Low-grade fever
Mild fever
0011134
Weight loss 0001824
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal fingernail morphology
Abnormal fingernails
Abnormality of the fingernails
[ more ]
0001231
Emphysema 0002097
Hemoptysis
Coughing up blood
0002105
Pulmonary arterial hypertension
Increased blood pressure in blood vessels of lungs
0002092
Respiratory insufficiency
Respiratory impairment
0002093
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of the immune system
Immunological abnormality
0002715
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources


Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnosis includes severe asthma with fungal sensitization, newly diagnosed cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, infectious pneumonia (especially during exacerbations) and other causes of eosinophilic pneumonia like Churg-Strauss syndrome (see this term), and bronchocentric granulomatosis.
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

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 Allergic bronchopulmonary 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. 

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.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • 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 Allergic bronchopulmonary 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.


  1. Miles MC, Peters SP. Allergic Bronchopulmonary Aspergillosis. Merck Manual Consumer Version. http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/lung-and-airway-disorders/asthma/allergic-bronchopulmonary-aspergillosis. Accessed 5/21/2015.
  2. Agarwal R. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. Orhanet. May 2012; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=en&Expert=1164. Accessed 5/21/2015.
  3. Aspergillosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). September 8, 2014; http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/aspergillosis/index.html. Accessed 5/21/2015.