Cor pulmonale complicating chronic pulmonary aspergillosis with fatal consequences: Experience from Uganda

Felix Bongomin; Richard Kwizera; Angella Atukunda; Bruce J Kirenga

doi:10.1016/j.mmcr.2019.07.001

Cor pulmonale complicating chronic pulmonary aspergillosis with fatal consequences: Experience from Uganda

Med Mycol Case Rep. 2019 Jul 5:25:22-24. doi: 10.1016/j.mmcr.2019.07.001. eCollection 2019 Sep.

Authors

Felix Bongomin^{1

2}, Richard Kwizera^{3

4}, Angella Atukunda¹, Bruce J Kirenga^{1

4}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
² Department of Medical Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda.
³ Infectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
⁴ Makerere University Lung Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.

Abstract

Cor pulmonale is a rare complication of pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA). A 45-year-old Ugandan male with a history of recurrent community-acquired pneumonias was admitted with symptoms of progressive difficulty in breathing, chronic productive cough, non-exertional left sided chest pain and progressive weight loss occurring over a 12-month period. Chest CT scan and echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of CPA with an aspergilloma complicating bronchiectasis, complicated with cor pulmonale. However, this was previously clinically misdiagnosed as PTB.

Keywords: Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis; Cor pulmonale; Itraconazole; Recurrent community acquired pneumonia; Uganda.

Publication types

Case Reports

Grants and funding

Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom