Pulmonary aspergillosis with cavitation. Iodide therapy associated with an unusual electrolyte disturbance.

THE genus of fungi aspergillus includes approximately 100 species. Some of these species are frequently encountered as contaminants of specimens submitted to the laboratory for bacterial and fungal cultures. Thom and Church1 called them the "weeds of the culture room." The frequent occurrence of aspergilli as contaminants has caused difficulty in establishing an etiologic relation in an illness in a given patient. aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger, A. clavatus, A. flavus and A. versicolor have been definitely associated with disease in man, but only the first two can be said to be frequent causes of mycotic disease. Because aspergilli may be . . .