Despite antifungal treatment, chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate rates of mortality and its predictors in CPA. A systematic literature search was conducted across MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science to identify studies in English, reporting mortality in CPA, from database inception to Aug 15, 2023. We included clinical studies, observational studies, controlled trials, and abstracts. Case reports, animal studies, letters, news, and literature reviews were excluded. Authors of studies published since 2016 were also contacted to obtain anonymised individual patient data (IPD); for other studies, summary estimates were extracted. Subgroup analysis was done for differences in overall 1-year and 5-year mortality, data source, study design, risk of bias, country, Human Development Index, age groups, and the underlying lung disease. We used random-effects meta-analyses to estimate pooled mortality rates. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were done to explore sources of heterogeneity. One-stage meta-analysis with a stratified Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate the univariable and hazards for mortality, adjusting for age, sex, type of CPA, treatment, and underlying pulmonary comorbidities. This study was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023453447). We included 79 studies involving 8778 patients in the overall pooled analysis and 15 studies involving 1859 patients in the IPD meta-analysis. Pooled mortality (from 70 studies) was estimated at 27% overall (95% CI 22-32; I² =95·4%), 15% at 1 year (11-19; I² =91·6%), and 32% at 5 years (25-39; I² =94·3%). Overall mortality in patients with CPA with pulmonary tuberculosis as the predominant predisposing condition was 25% (16-35; I² =87·5%; 20 studies) and with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was 35% (22-49; I² =89·7%; 14 studies). Mortality in cohorts of patients who underwent surgical resection was low at 3% (2-4). In the multivariable analysis, among predisposing respiratory conditions, pulmonary tuberculosis history had the lowest mortality hazard (relative to an absence of the disease at baseline), whereas worse outcomes were seen with underlying malignancy; subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis subtypes of CPA were also significantly associated with increased mortality relative to simple aspergilloma on multivariable analysis. Mortality hazard increased by 25% with each decade of age (adjusted hazard ratio 1·25 [95% CI 1·14-1·36], p<0·0001). CPA is associated with substantial mortality. Advancing age, CPA subtype, and underlying comorbidities are important predictors of mortality. Future studies should focus on identifying appropriate treatment strategies tailored to different risk groups. None.

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) is an emerging disease in patients with common chronic pulmonary diseases (CPDs). While its prevalence is linked to tuberculosis (TB) in endemic countries, epidemiological and prognostic data are lacking in low TB incidence countries. The aim of this study was to describe these features in CPA patients hospitalised in France between 2009 and 2018.We estimated the prevalence and mortality of hospitalised CPA patients using the French nationwide administrative hospital database. We also assessed the association with CPD, thoracic interventions and malnutrition.From 2009 to 2018, 17 290 patients were hospitalised in France for CPA, with an increasing prevalence during this period. Most patients were male (63.5%) with a median age of 65 years at CPA diagnosis, living in farming regions and large cities. The proportion of underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and emphysema during the previous 5 years was 44% and 22%, respectively, whereas it was only 3% for both TB and non-TB mycobacterial (NTM) infections. The mortality rates during the first hospitalisation, at 1 year and at 5 years were 17%, 32% and 45%, respectively. In multivariate analysis, mortality rates were increased in patients aged >65 years, male patients and patients with malnutrition, diabetes or lung cancer history. The risk of mortality in patients with COPD or emphysema was higher than in those with previous mycobacterial lung infection.In France, CPA is an emerging infection commonly associated with non-mycobacterial CPD. This shift in the distribution profile of underlying CPD will likely worsen CPA mortality.

The revised WHO definition of XDR-TB decreases the number of TB cases classified as such, and allows better focus on the most difficult to treat cases of TBhttps://bit.ly/3tgaXQA

Pyogenic lung abscesses are rare and poorly described infections. This study aimed to describe their prognostic factors. We retrospectively included all patients hospitalized between 1 January 1998 and 1 June 2018, with an International Classification of Diseases, version 10 (IDC-10) diagnosis of pyogenic lung abscess, from the Diamm based medical records (Micro6, Nancy, France). Parasitic, fungal, or mycobacterial lung abscesses were excluded. A total of 64 patients were included. Abscesses were associated with immunosuppression in 28 patients, including HIV infection and immunosuppressive therapy for eight and 12 patients, respectively. Bacterial identification was obtained for 36 patients. Nine patients (14%) developed lung abscesses after hematogenous dissemination. They differed from bronchogenic abscesses by their younger age (p = 0.03), the absence of smoking or emphysema (p = 0.05), Staphylococcus aureus (p = 0.001) or Streptococcus spp. (p = 0.05) isolation, and the smaller size of their abscess (p = 0.02). Overall, evolution was marked by radiological sequelae (46.9%), relapse (12.5%), and death (4.8%). Radiological sequelae occurred more frequently during the course of bronchogenic abscesses (p = 0.02), particularly when they spontaneously discharged (p = 0.04). Relapses were more frequent in patients with emphysema (p = 0.04) and when Haemophilus influenzae was isolated (p = 0.04). In multivariate analysis, poor outcomes, including death, sequelae, and relapse occurred more frequently in patients who had bronchogenic abscess (p = 0.02), and in those who received antibiotics during less than 6 weeks (p = 0.05). A duration of antibiotic treatment of less than 6 weeks and bronchogenic presentation were globally associated with poor outcome of pyogenic lung abscesses. These data should be considered when proposing guidelines for the care of pyogenic lung abscesses. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.