A Distinct Clinical Entity of Invasive Cardiac Aspergillosis: Not the Heart Valves This Time

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection that mainly affects immunocompromised hosts. Cardiac involvement is rare but can be the sole presentation of IA. It is associated with a high mortality rate and mostly occurs in patients with pre-existing cardiac disease. It can also be see...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zaid Al Khouri, Hunter Smeltzer, Anood Al Qura’an, Mohammad H. Khan, Alexandre E. Malek
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Journal of Fungi
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/11/7/486
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Summary:Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a life-threatening infection that mainly affects immunocompromised hosts. Cardiac involvement is rare but can be the sole presentation of IA. It is associated with a high mortality rate and mostly occurs in patients with pre-existing cardiac disease. It can also be seen in immunocompetent patients with a structurally normal heart. The reported cases of cardiac involvement are usually due to infectious endocarditis (IE) caused by <i>Aspergillus</i> species (most commonly <i>Aspergillus fumigatus</i>). However, there is limited data on non-valvular cardiac aspergillosis (NVCA). We reviewed 67 cases of NVCA published between 1950–2024 and reported an additional case from our institution involving a 48-year-old female with kyphoscoliosis diagnosed with <i>Aspergillus</i> pericarditis.
ISSN:2309-608X