What Is Allergic Bronchopulmonary

Aspergillosis (ABPA)?
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (called ABPA
for short) is a problem in the lungs that is not very
common. It is caused by a severe allergic reaction after
being exposed to a type of fungus called Aspergillus.
What is Aspergillus? Common signs and symptoms of ABPA
Aspergillus is a type of fungus (also referred to as a A person with ABPA will have some or all of the
mold), that is commonly found in the environment. following symptoms:
It can be found in the soil, dust, water, and rotting or • Coughing frequently
decaying vegetation (like dead leaves or compost piles), • Coughing up mucus plugs that may be brown in color.
marijuana, and some foods and ground spices. The You may also cough up blood (called hemoptysis).
fungus forms into spores which are very small particles • Difficulty exercising
that can float in the air. Most people inhale its spores • Wheezing
from the air, but do not have any problems from being • Shortness of breath or feeling like it is difficult to get
exposed. In most cases, the fungus can live in the air into or out of your lungs.
mucus in the breathing tubes (airways). This is called • Chest pain or tightness
colonization. Having Aspergillus in your airways does • Fever that goes away then comes back
not mean you have or will have a sudden (acute), and • Fatigue
serious infection by this fungus. Our immune system
ABPA with asthma
usually helps protect the body from infections like
ABPA can be a rare cause of poorly controlled
these. In some people who have a weakened immune
asthma, occurring in less than 1% of asthma patients.
system, Aspergillus can get into the lungs, causing an
A person with asthma who develops ABPA has
acute infection. (For more about Aspergillus infection,
difficulty controlling their asthma despite using
see the ATS Patient Information Series fact sheet:
many medications. Because ABPA can be treated, it is
Aspergillosis in the Fungal Disease Series). However,
sometimes considered in cases of poor asthma control.
in a few cases, this exposure to Aspergillus triggers
an allergic immune response without invading the ABPA with cystic fibrosis (CF)
tissues that leads to ABPA (allergic bronchopulmonary Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that can affect the
aspergillosis). lungs. ABPA can be seen in 1-15% of people with
What is ABPA? CF. ABPA is considered when a person with CF has
worsening symptoms and lung function not responding
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is a form of
to other CF therapy.
lung disease that occurs in some people who are allergic
to Aspergillus. With ABPA, this allergic reaction causes How do I know if I have ABPA?
the immune system to overreact to Aspergillus leading Your health care provider can find out if you have
to lung inflammation. ABPA causes bronchospasm ABPA. There is no individual test to diagnose ABPA. The
(tightening of airway muscles) and mucus buildup diagnosis is made based on your symptoms and results
resulting in coughing, breathing difficulty and airway of a set of tests including lung function and allergy tests.
obstruction. As described below, diagnosing ABPA can be difficult.
Some people with ABPA will develop bronchiectasis, Blood tests are used to look for signs of an
a form of airway damage that can result in worse lung allergic reaction. This includes evaluating your
function and increased risk of infection. Bronchiectasis immunoglobulin E (IgE) level. This level is increased
can also occur in people who have lung diseases that with any type of allergy. Many people with asthma
cause chronic inflammation (swelling) in the lungs, have higher than normal IgE levels. In ABPA however,
such as chronic infections, asthma, or cystic fibrosis. the IgE level is extremely high (more than 1000 ng/
(For more information on bronchiectasis, go to http:// ml or 417 IU/ml). IgE levels can also be used to help
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/brn/) monitor control of your ABPA. In addition to total

Am J Respir Crit Care Med, Vol. 190, P3-P4, 2014. 1/18 Revision www.thoracic.org
ATS Patient Education Series © 2014 American Thoracic Society
IgE, all patients with ABPA have high levels of IgE that make sure this monitoring can take place.
is specific to Aspergillus. A blood test can be done to Often a person improves with therapy and the illness
measure specific IgE to Aspergillus. There are some will go into what is called remission. During remission,
other blood tests that also can help with the diagnosis. you will have few if any signs of ABPA. However,
Your health care provider can tell you what other tests repeated flare ups of ABPA can occur that require
you may need. more treatment. In addition to monitoring you for
A blood or skin test for IgE antibodies to Aspergillus improvement in symptoms, a combination of X-ray or
can be done to see if a person is sensitized (allergic) to CT findings, lung function and blood tests are used to
this fungus. If these skin tests are negative (i.e. does help judge if the treatment is working. The IgE level
not show a skin reaction) to Aspergillus fumigatus, the usually gets lower as the allergic reaction is controlled.
person usually does not have ABPA. Your health care provider can help you decide how long
A sputum culture (mucus coughed up from the treatment is needed, tell you about symptoms of side
airway) can be done to see if Aspergillus is growing in effects from medicines and a plan for follow-up visits.
the airway but is not always reliable. Many people will
Authors: Marianna Sockrider MD DrPH, Sally E. Wenzel MD, Mario
have Aspergillus in their airway secretions (sputum) but Castro MD MPH, Hrishikesh Kulkarni MD.
not have ABPA. On the other hand, even if the culture Reviewer: Suzanne Lareau RN, MS
is negative, a person can still have ABPA.
Chest X-rays are often not helpful in diagnosing
ABPA. A CT scan (computed tomography) however, is
a more detailed view of your lungs and therefore can
Action Plan
be very helpful. The bronchiectasis is kind of a curve to Discuss with your health care provider if the
the reader. following situations arise.
Lung function testing (spirometry) is used to see how
4 If you cough frequently and bring up “plugs”
severe your lung problem is and to find out how well of brown mucus or blood, see your health care
you are responding to the treatment. (To learn more provider.
about spirometry, see the ATS Patient Information
4 If you or your health care provider think that
Series fact sheet: “Pulmonary Function Tests”).
you may have ABPA, ask to see a specialist who
How is ABPA treated? manages ABPA.
Treatment of ABPA aims to control inflammation and 4 Take all doses of medicine prescribed to treat ABPA.
prevent further injury to your lungs. 4 Continue treatment to control any other lung
ABPA is usually treated with a combination of oral problem you have (such as asthma or CF).
corticosteroids and anti-fungal medications. 4 Talk with your health care provider if you are
The corticosteroid (steroid medicine) is used to treat having increased symptoms or any concern about
inflammation and blocks the allergic reaction. Examples side-effects from the medicines.
of corticosteroids include: prednisone, prednisolone or Provider’s Office Telephone:
methylprednisolone. Inhaled corticosteroids alone—
such as used for asthma treatment—are not effective
in treating ABPA. Usually treatment with an oral
corticosteroid is needed for months. You should discuss
with your health care provider about what possible side For additional information:
effects may occur with oral corticosteroids and how The Fungal Research Trust
http://www.aspergillus.org.uk/abpaframeset.html
they can be managed.
The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook for Patients
The second type of therapy used is an anti-fungal and Caregivers
medication, like itraconozole (brand name Sporanox®) http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/lung_and_airway_
and voriconozole (brand name VFEND®). These disorders/asthma/allergic_bronchopulmonary_aspergillosis.
medicines help kill Aspergillus so that it no longer html?qt=&sc=&alt=
colonizes the airway. Usually one of these drugs is Cystic Fibrosis Foundation—Allergic Bronchopulmonary
Aspergillosis
given for at least 3 to 6 months. However, even this
http://www.cff.org/livingwithcf/stayinghealthy/germs/abpa/
treatment is not curative (permanently cure you of
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Aspergillosis
ABPA) and can have side effects. You will hence be (Aspergillus)
monitored for signs of side effects such as liver damage. http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/aspergillosis/risk-prevention.html
Be certain to keep appointments for your blood work to

The ATS Patient Information Series is a public service of the American Thoracic Society and its journal, the AJRCCM. The information appearing
in this series is for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for the medical advice one one’s personal health care
provider. For further information about this series, contact J.Corn at [email protected].
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