Invasive central nervous system aspergillosis in a patient with Crohn’s disease after treatment with infliximab and corticosteroids

Abstract

Aspergillus species are emerging as a significant cause of pneumonia mortality in immune compromised hosts, with haematological spread being a rare and life-threatening complication. The central nervous system (CNS) as a site for extrapulmonary spread is rarer still. We report a case of CNS disseminated aspergillosis in a patient treated with corticosteroids and infliximab, an immunomodulatory agent commonly used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, and review the available literature regarding this rare pathology.