Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis and common variable hypogammaglobulinemia in an adult male patient: Case report

Abstract

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is an inflammatory disease of the airways, which occurs in some patients with asthma and which represents an exaggerated immunologic response to Aspergillus fumigatus. If undiagnosed, it can cause considerable morbidity, with bronchiectasis and fibrotic lung disease. Such patients have high titers of serum IgE, elevated IgE anti-Aspergillus antibody levels, and high titers of IgG anti-Aspergillus antibodies, which can be detected by a variety of methods.I, 2 C o m m o n variable hypogammaglobul inemia is a disease that often has its onset in adulthood. It is most commonly associated with f requent infections of the sinuses and the t racheobronchial tree. It can occur in both men and w o m e n and is often associated with excessive morbidity. The diagnosis can be made by the demonst ra t ion of low levels of serum IgG. In some patients, IgG subclass or specific ant ibody deficiency is its major manifestation, a l though total IgG levels can be normal. Confirmat ion of the diagnosis requires the demonstration of the inability to produce specific IgG antibodies to protein or polysaccharide antigens. We present the case of an adult with both disease entities.