MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Pulmonary aspergillosis

Medical Encyclopedia

Pulmonary aspergillosis

Aspergillosis is an acute pulmonary infection caused by the aspergillus fungus. Aspergillus can cause illness three ways: an allergic reaction in asthmatics; a colonization in scarred lung tissue; and an invasive infection with pneumonia which can affect the heart, lungs, brain and kidneys.

Update Date: 9/17/2008

Updated 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.

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