Pulmonary aspergilloma (mycetoma)

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Aspergilloma	Aspergillosis - chest X-ray	Lungs	Pulmonary aspergillosis
Pulmonary nodule, solitary - CT scan	Pulmonary nodule - front view chest X-ray	Respiratory system

Fungus ball; Mycetoma; Aspergilloma

Often, no treatment is needed, unless you are coughing up blood.

In some cases, injecting dye into the blood vessels (angiography) may be used to find the site of bleeding. The bleeding can then be stopped by shooting tiny pellets into the bleeding vessel. Surgery is another option to control bleeding, and is often the only choice if there is life-threatening bleeding.

Occasionally, antifungal medications may be used.

The outcome can be good in many patients. However, it depends on the severity of the condition and other factors.

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In some people, surgery can be very effective when it is successful, but this surgery is complex and can have a high risk of serious complications.

Many patients never develop symptoms and do not need any form of treatment.

• Difficulty breathing that gets worse
• Massive bleeding from the lung
• Spread of the infection (see acute invasive aspergillosis)

See your health care provider if you cough up blood, and mention any other symptoms that have developed.

Review Date: 09/17/2008
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and Jatin M. Vyas, PhD, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Assistant in Medicine, Division of Infectious Disease, Massachusetts General Hospital. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.