Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.

Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is not a common condition, even though asthma due to sensitization to Aspergillus antigen is very common in many countries because of the ubiquitous distribution of the fungus itself. During the course of 14 years, the Mycology Department of the V. P. Chest Institute, Delhi, has confirmed the diagnosis of ABPA in 46 patients. The present study is based on the follow-up of 17 patients for understanding the evolution of the disease. All of them had Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) in the sputum with positive type I and type III skin reaction to AF antigen. 7 patients were treated for 10 days with oral administration of Hamycin, an antibiotic isolated from one of the streptomycete species. Immediate results were very good, with marked alleviation of subjective symptoms and absence of fungi in the sputum. The drug deserves further trial.