Introduction:

Chronic necrotizing aspergillosis is a rare disease that is characterized by being a destructive and chronic process in the lung parenchyma. It is classified as cavitary, necrotizing and fibrosing.

Objective:

To present a patient with chronic necrotizing aspergillosis, her clinical and diagnostic characteristics and the therapeutic procedure used.

Clinical case:

A 20-year-old female patient with a history of bronchial asthma who had a cough with yellow expectoration 6 months ago; she underwent several cycles of antibiotics with little clinical improvement, a month ago she started with a fever of 38 ºC, shortness of breath and hemoptysis. She was admitted to the pulmonology ward with suspected pulmonary tuberculosis or pulmonary mycosis. The definitive diagnosis of chronic necrotizing aspergillosis was established through Grocott and Schiff periodic acid staining, mycological sputum, and computerized axial tomography. Treatment with lyophilized amphotericin B was established for 21 days and then oral itraconazole for 3 months; the evolution was satisfactory.

Conclusions:

Clinical suspicion and confirmation, both radiological and mycological in all patients with clinical manifestations of insidious evolution and poor response to antibiotics, is essential to reach the diagnosis of pulmonary aspergillosis.

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