Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis : Occurrence in a non-neutropenic female patient with abdominal sepsis [Invasive pulmonale Aspergillose : Auftreten bei einer nichtneutropenischen Patientin mit abdomineller Sepsis]

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a life-threatening infection predominantly affecting immunocompromised patients, e.g. with acute leukemia. This case report demonstrates that IPA can also occur in non-neutropenic critically ill surgical patients. The case of a 63-year-old woman is reported, who developed IPA of the respiratory tract in the course of diffuse purulent peritonitis. First-line therapy with voriconazol failed to be effective. However, application of caspofungin, intensive kinetic therapy (including prone position) and airway management by interventional bronchoscopy enabled successful treatment of this severe complication. © 2009 Springer Medizin Verlag.