ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Invasive aspergillosis (IA) has emerged as a leading cause of death in severely immunocompromised patients, particularly patients with leukemia and recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) (1). Its incidence has significantly increased over the past two decades due to the development of new intensive chemotherapy regimens, increased use of high-dose corticosteroids, worldwide increase in solid organ and bone marrow transplantation, and increased use of immunosuppressive regimens for autoimmune diseases (2,4). Despite a high incidence, a significant decrease in mortality in patients with a diagnosis of IA following HSCT was noticed in recent years coinciding with multiple changes in transplantation practices, including the use of nonmyeloablative conditioning regimens, receipt of peripheral blood stem cells, more prompt diagnosis of IA and, importantly, the use of voriconazole (5). This chapter addresses the risk factors associated with IA, the common clinical presentation, novel approaches for early detection of subclinical infection and diagnosis modalities, and updated treatment strategies.
