INVASIVE ASPERGILLOSIS AND ALLOGENEIC BON E-MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

Invasive aspergillosis is the most frequent cause of infectious death after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. Risk factors include the patient's condition (granulocytopenia, immunosuppression) and his env ironment (air spores count). Pulmonary infections are prominent. Other infections usually occur in the setting of disseminated disease via h ematogenous spread. Cerebral aspergillosis appears to be especially fr equent and of very poor prognosis. Infections of the paranasal sinuses occur less often and are associated or not with pneumonitis. Mycologi cally confirmed diagnosis is difficult to obtain : treatment will ofte n have to be instored on clinical findings alone or even on an empiric basis. However, the prognosis remains extremely poor explaining the a ctual physicians' concern in finding a better prophylaxis of this infe ction.