Spectrum of Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. This chapter explores the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management of the various entities of aspergillosis in COPD including chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) invasive aspergillosis (IA), Aspergillus sensitisation, and community-acquired Aspergillus pneumonia. Some of these entities particularly IA are directly linked to COPD and significantly impact diagnosis and patient care with increased risk of mortality. Others including Aspergillus nodule are less directly linked to COPD. More research is needed to improve our understanding of aspergillosis entities in COPD. Greater efforts are needed to increase awareness of these serious infections amongst healthcare practitioners. This should promote prompt and accurate diagnosis of these conditions and effective treatment to reduce both morbidity and mortality.