Invasive Aspergillosis

Abstract

There is an increasing frequency of mycotic infections in patients with leukemia and other hematologic neoplasia.^{1 2 3} Aspergillosis is second only to candidiasis in frequency of opportunistic fungal disease among such patients.^{2 3 4 5 6} Invasive aspergillosis is difficult to diagnose and is often lethal in the immunosuppressed host.^{5 , 7} Blood cultures^{3 , 8} and serologic tests⁹ are usually negative with systemic disease. Skin lesions are infrequently reported in large series of patients with invasive aspergillosis^{3 , 7 , 10 , 11}; however, we have observed cutaneous involvement in four patients during the past two years. The purpose of this paper is to describe the characteristic morphology of the skin lesions in . . .