Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffDiagnosing an infection caused by aspergillus mold can be difficult. Aspergillus is common in the environment and is sometimes found in the saliva and sputum of healthy people. What's more, it's hard to distinguish aspergillus from other molds under the microscope, and symptoms of the infection are similar to those of conditions such as tuberculosis.
Your doctor is likely to use one or more of the following tests:
- Imaging test. A chest X-ray or computerized tomography (CT) scan — a type of X-ray that produces more-detailed images than conventional X-rays do — can usually reveal a fungal mass (aspergilloma), as well as characteristic signs of invasive and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
- Respiratory secretion (sputum) test. In this test, a sample of your sputum is stained with a dye and checked for the presence of aspergillus filaments. The specimen is then placed in a substance that encourages the mold to grow to help confirm the diagnosis.
- Tissue and blood tests. Diagnosing allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis usually requires skin and blood tests. For the skin test, a small amount of aspergillus antigen is injected into the skin of your forearm. If your blood has antibodies to the mold, you'll develop a hard, red bump at the injection site. Blood tests look for high levels of certain antibodies, indicating an allergic response.
- Biopsy. Examining a sample of tissue from your lungs or sinuses under a microscope is usually necessary to confirm a diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis.
References
- Segal BH. Aspergillosis. New England Journal of Medicine. 2009;360:1870.
- Treatment of aspergillosis. Arlington, Va.: Infectious Diseases Society of America. Clinical Infectious Diseases. 2008;46:327.
- Aspergillosis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nczved/dfbmd/disease_listing/aspergillosis_gi.html. Accessed Jan. 3. 2011.
- Aspergillosis. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec14/ch180/ch180c.html?qt=aspergillosis&alt=sh. Accessed Jan. 3, 2011.
- Denning DW. Aspergillosis. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2896200. Accessed Jan. 4, 2011.
- Sugar AM. Clinical features and diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Dec. 30, 2010.
- Sherif R, et al. Pulmonary aspergillosis: Clinical presentation, diagnostic tests, management and complications. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. 2010;16:242.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. January 13, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on