Myocardial infarction caused by Aspergillus embolization in a patient with aplastic anemia

Abstract

A 38-year-old Japanese man with severe aplastic anemia had invasive pulmonary aspergillosis as a complication. He was treated with amphotericin B for six weeks, but the aspergillosis did not improve. Then he experienced a fatal myocardial infarction. An autopsy revealed disseminated aspergillosis involving pericarditis and Aspergillus embolization to the coronary arteries. This led to the acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac aspergillosis is rare, but should be included within the differential diagnosis when chest pain of unknown origin occurs in an immunosuppressed patient. © 2006 The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine.