Korean J Pediatr Hematol Oncol.  2001 Oct;8(2):366-371.

A Case of Pulmonary Embolism Caused by Aspergillus in a Child with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

• Kim HM
• Sohn BR
• Jang PS
• Kim SY
• Chung NG
• Cho B
• Jeong DC
• Kim HK

Abstract

Pulmonary embolism is not a frequent cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with or without malignancies. Pulmonary embolism should be ruled out when sudden tachypnea and pulmonary hypertension develop in leukemic children, and chest radiograph shows no or minimal abnormalities. A 14-year-old girl with acute lymphoblastic leukemia was admitted due to neutropenic fever and dyspnea. Chest computed tomography and ventilation/perfusion scan showed pulmonary embolism, and embolectomy revealed aspergillosis. Invasive aspergillosis is the major opportunistic fungal pathogen in neutropenic patient and an important cause of death. The critical elements of successful management of invasive aspergillosis complicating neutropenia and pulmonary embolism are early diagnosis, initiation of aggressive doses of amphotericin B, reversal of immune suppression and feasible surgical resection of the lesions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of pulmonary embolism caused by Aspergillus in an immunocompromised setting in Korea and we present a case report with a brief review.

Keyword

Pulmonary embolism; Aspergillosis; Acute lymphoblastic leukemia

MeSH Terms

Adolescent
Amphotericin B
Aspergillosis
Aspergillus*
Cause of Death
Child*
Dyspnea
Early Diagnosis
Embolectomy
Female
Fever
Humans
Hypertension, Pulmonary
Korea
Mortality
Neutropenia
Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma*
Pulmonary Embolism*
Radiography, Thoracic
Tachypnea
Thorax
Amphotericin B