Bronchopulmonary Mycosis

THE IMPORTANCE of fungi as causes of pathologic changes in the lungs associated with acute and chronic respiratory illnesses is generally recognized. Their relation to pulmonary calcification not proved to be tuberculosis is an important and disputed question.¹The fewness of cases of pulmonary mycoses reported in children, especially within family groups, justifies presenting the record of 5 cases of bronchopulmonary mycosis in a single family. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Bennett,²in 1840, was the first to investigate and describe pneumonomycoses. Schnyter,³in 1847, described mold infection in the lungs. In 1855, Virchow⁴gave the name pneumonomycosis to the disease. With 3 cases of chronic pulmonary disease Virchow⁴demonstrated at postmortem examination Aspergillus fumigatus, which in his opinion was responsible for the pathologic changes. The early interest in the subject is evidenced by the report of Reubold⁵in 1854, disproving Berg's⁶original observations