Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis: review of literature and proposal of new diagnostic and classification criteria

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an immunological pulmonary disorder caused by hypersensitivity to Aspergillus fumigatus, manifesting with poorly controlled asthma, recurrent pulmonary infiltrates and bronchiectasis. There are estimated to be in excess of four million patients affected world-wide. The importance of recognizing ABPA relates to the improvement of patient symptoms, and delay in development or prevention of bronchiectasis, one manifestation of permanent lung damage in ABPA. Environmental factors may not be the only pathogenetic factors because not all asthmatics develop ABPA despite being exposed to the same environment. Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis is probably a…