ULCERATIVE AND PLAQUE-LIKE TRACHEOBRONCHITIS DUE TO INFECTION WITH ASPERGILLUS IN PATIENTS WITH AIDS

Tracheobronchitis is an uncommon manifestation of infection due to Aspergillus species, occurring in <7% of cases of pulmonary aspergillosis. At least 58 cases of invasive aspergillus tracheobronchitis have been described since 1962. We describe four patients with AIDS, all of whom were severely immunocompromised, who had ulcerative tracheobronchitis due to Aspergillus species demonstrated histologically. Three patients had received corticosteroids or were neutropenic at presentation. At bronchoscopy, three patients had some degree of diffuse tracheobronchitis, multiple ulcerative or «plaque-like» inflammatory lesions, and occasionally nodules involving the mainstem and segmental bronchi. The remaining patient had a single deep ulceration of the proximal trachea