Volume 5, Issue 1 , Pages 18-22, January 2010
Disseminated aspergillosis with thyroid and bone localization: A case report
Article Outline
Summary
We describe an original case of disseminated aspergillosis (pulmonary, thyroid and vertebral) in a 13-year-old girl from Tunisia. The patient had presented a thyroid node and a knee mass. The scintigraphy confirmed the cold thyroid node and an increased bone uptake in the left knee, the 5th left coast, the femur and the hip. The histological and mycological examinations concluded to an aspergillosis with Aspergillus flavus. The outcome was rapidly fatal.
Few reports have been published on thyroid aspergillosis localization. This major mycosis occurs in children with septic family granulomatosis whose forecast remains dark.
Keywords: Aspergillus flavus, Thyroid, Bone, Disseminated aspergillosis
1. Introduction
Disseminated aspergillosis has a poor prognosis. Extra-pulmonary involvement is rare and occurs at an advanced stage and represents an ominous sign for immunocompromised patients. We describe an original case of disseminated aspergillosis (pulmonary, thyroid and vertebral).
2. Case reports
A 13-year-old girl, from Sfax (south of Tunisia), was hospitalized for cervical tumefaction, pain in the left knee with deterioration of the general state.
She had recurrent pulmonary infections and bronchial dilatation at the age of 8 and 10 years. After 1 year, the patient had presented a left thyroid node without hyperthyroidism.
The clinical examination showed a thyroid node and a left knee mass. The X-ray visualized a multiple bone lysis (Fig. 1) in the femur and the knee. The scintigraphy showed abnormal uptake in the left lobe of thyroid (Fig. 2), a decrease in perfusion in the right lower lobe of the lung (Fig. 3) and an increased bone uptake in the left knee, the 4th and 5th left coast, the femur and the hip (Fig. 4).
Fig. 1.
X-ray: a femur and tibia bone lysis.
Fig. 2.
Thyroid scintigraphy: abnormal uptake in the left lobe of thyroid.
Fig. 3.
A decrease in perfusion in the right lower lobe of the lung.
Fig. 4.
Bone scintigraphy: an increased bone uptake in the left knee, the 4th and 5th left coast, the femur and the hip.
The neoplasic origin was evoked, and the patient had a thyroidectomy. Extensive necrosis with infiltration of fungal hyphae was observed in the thyroid gland (Fig. 5). The histological and mycological examinations concluded to aspergillosis with Aspergillus flavus. The Aspergillus antigenemia was positive.
Fig. 5.
Histologic examination: extensive necrosis with infiltration of fungal hyphae.
She was treated with Amphotericin B (30
mg/day) combined with Itraconazole (300mg/day). She also developed a femur and tibia osteomyelitis (Fig. 1, Fig. 6). Aggressive surgical debridement was done. Culture from intra-operative bone tissue grewed A. flavus. The magnetic resonance imaging showed extension of infiltrative process into the mediastinum, the lung and pleural cavity with vertebral body destruction (Fig. 7). The evolution was marked by cervical abscess and multiorgan deterioration. The outcome was rapidly fatal.
Fig. 6.
MRI: femur and tibia osteomyelitis.
Fig. 7.
MRI: infiltrative process and vertebral body destruction.
The immunizing assessment of deficit could not be carried out for neither the patient nor her brother who died few years ago in septic shock with severe immunodeficiency.
3. Discussion
The incidence of Aspergillus infection has increased dramatically during the last decade [1]. However few reports have been published on extra-pulmonary aspergillosis and its clinical features have not been fully clarified [2]. The organ distribution was described by autopsy studies [1]. Osteomyelitis is the fourth most common site of infection for aspergillosis following pulmonary, sinus and cerebral infections [3], [4].
We have isolate A. flavus from thyroid and bone tissues. Frequency of thyroid localization varied from 9% to 15% [2]. Aspergillus was the most common cause of fungal thyroiditis [5]. A majority of patients with thyroid aspergillosis remained asymptomatic as in our case. The thyroid node was suspected to be neoplasic. The diagnosis of thyroid fungi invasion is delayed in most cases and it is usually difficult to diagnose in the ante mortem period [1]. Aspergillus antigenemia is a key for early diagnosis and gallium scintigraphy might be useful to determine the site of fungal infection [6].
In the literature, invasive aspergillosis is usually caused by A. fumigatus and less commonly by A. flavus [5], [7].
Thyroiditis was diagnosed at autopsy as part of disseminated infection in a substantial number of patients without clinical manifestations and laboratory evidence of thyroid dysfunction [5].
In our case, the immunizing assessment has not been carried. This type of major mycosis usually occurs in the children with septic family granulomatosis whose forecast remains always dark [8]. The extra pulmonary aspergillosis contributes to a high morbidity and a high mortality. Early recognition of these entities, prompt initiation of new, highly active antifungal therapies and adjunctive surgical management may improve the prognosis of these conditions [1].
References
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- Thyrotoxicosis induced by thyroid involvement of disseminated Aspergillus fumigatus infection. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2000;38:886–887
- . Aspergillus vertebral osteomyelitis in a child with a primary monocyte killing defect: response to GM-CSF therapy. Br. Infect. Soc. 2000;97–100
- . Spinal Aspergillus vertebral osteomyelitis with extradural abscess: case report and review of literature. Surg. Neurol. 2004;61:551–555
- . Fungal thyroiditis: an overview. Mycopathologia. 2006;161(3):129–139
- . Aspergillus thyroiditis in a living donor liver transplant recipient. J. Infect. 2006;53:231–233
- Systemic aspergillosis caused by an aflatoxin-producing strain of Aspergillus flavus. Med. Mycol. 1998;36:107–112
- . Osteomyelitis due to Aspergillus spp. in patients with chronic granulomatous disease: comparison of Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus fumigatus. Int. J. Infect. Dis. 2004;8:103–110
PII: S1871-4048(09)00005-7
doi:10.1016/j.pedex.2009.01.005
© 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Volume 5, Issue 1 , Pages 18-22, January 2010
