Radiology, Vol 188, 821-823, Copyright © 1993 by Radiological Society of North America

ARTICLES

Intracavitary aspergilloma: transthoracic percutaneous injection of amphotericin gelatin solution

PL Munk, AD Vellet, RN Rankin, NL Muller and D Ahmad
Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.

For aspergillomas in patients with fibrocavitary lung disease, surgery is often not recommended. Injection or lavage of the cavities with solutions of potassium iodide or antifungal agents has had varying success and requires repeated sessions because of nonretention of the therapeutic agent within the cavity. In three patients with four aspergillomas, the authors used fluoroscopic or computed tomographic (CT) guidance to inject amphotericin in gelatin as a liquid that solidifies within the cavity at body temperature. The patients were followed up with serial chest radiography or CT. The mixture was successfully instilled in every case. Three of the four aspergillomas completely resolved within 3 months or less, with no evidence of recurrence at follow-up of 6-18 months. The remaining aspergilloma decreased in size, but the patient needed pneumonectomy because of recurrent hemoptysis within 6 months of amphotericin injection. Transthoracic instillation of a liquid mixture of amphotericin and gelatin that solidifies rapidly at body temperature may be useful as a one-step treatment for aspergillomas.

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