Diagnosis of Invasive Aspergillosis on ICU

Dear Colleagues,

After a solid organ or stem cell transplantation, immunocompromised patients or those with severe influenza or with sepsis/septic shock are at risk of developing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Invasive aspergillosis in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infections (CAPA: COVID-19-associated pulmonary aspergillosis) is a rare but serious complication of this pandemic disease.  

IPA is associated with a mortality of >60% in critically ill patients.  The diagnosis of IPA is challenging with an infection, and is only provable with a histopathologic examination. The discrimination between infection and colonization with Aspergillus fumigatus remains challenging and is usually performed by combining patient factors, radiographic features and specific testing. This only yields a certain degree of probability rather than a definitive diagnosis. 

The pathomechanisms leading to the development of IPA/CAPA remain poorly understood, but seem to be associated with the functional state of the immune system and function of neutrophil granulocytes in the lungs. 

Advancements in the diagnosis of this serious disease could lead to timely treatment and might potentially improve the still devastating outcome. Understanding the development of IPA and the course of the disease, especially in critically ill patients, could lead to an improved diagnostic accuracy.

This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality original research, including case reports, reviews and short communications, concerning up-to-date rapid fungal diagnostic techniques, biomarkers and future molecular imaging techniques. We welcome translational research, including immunogenetic risk profiling and pathomechanisms which influence the course of IPA.

Dr. Frank Herbstreit
Dr. Simon Dubler
Guest Editors

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