Aspergillosis medical therapy


 * Associate Editor-In-Chief:

Treatment

 * A fungus ball is usually not treated (with antifungal medicines) unless there is bleeding into the lung tissue. In that case, surgery is needed.


 * Invasive aspergillosis is treated with several weeks of an antifungal drug called voriconazole. It can be given both oral and intravenous route. Amphotericin B, echinocandins, or itraconazole can also be used. Endocarditis caused by Aspergillus is treated by surgically removing the infected heart valves. Long-term antifungal therapy is also needed.


 * Allergic aspergillosis: Antifungal drugs alone do not help people with allergic aspergillosis. Allergic aspergillosis is treated with drugs that suppress the immune system (immunosuppressive drugs) -- most often oral prednisone.

The drugs amphotericin B, caspofungin, flucytosine, itraconazole, voriconazole are used to treat this fungal infection.