Behçet's disease with invasive pulmonary aspergillosis and Aspergillus auriculatus infection: A case report

RATIONALE: Behçet's disease (BD) is an inflammatory disease that leads to multisystemic immune dysfunction and that involves pulmonary system alterations. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 26-year-old woman presented with dull right chest pain for 30 days and intermittent cough with expectoration for 5 days. She had a history of recurrent oral ulcer and constitutional rash 2 months prior. DIAGNOSES: The patient was diagnosed with BD complicated by IPA and Aspergillus auriculatus infection. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was administered itraconazole oral solution (200 mg b.i.d) to treat the fungal infection. After a diagnosis of BD was made, she received 40 mg of methylprednisolone sodium succinate daily for 1 week. Then, she also received 24 mg of methylprednisolone sodium succinate daily, which was decreased by 2 mg per half month, until the rash had resolved. The patient continued to receive 200 mg Q. D itraconazole orally for 3 months. Thereafter, itraconazole was stopped, while daily oral administration of 10 mg of methylprednisolone sodium succinate was continued. OUTCOMES: The rash was observed to resolve, and CT revealed that the lesions in both the right and left lung were reduced. During a telephone follow-up performed after 6 months, the patient stated that no symptoms had recurred during the follow-up period. LESSONS: This case illustrates that for patients with BD, ignoring extrapulmonary symptoms often leads to a delayed diagnosis. Physicians should perform a thorough medical history and physical examination of these patients, as the information obtained in this manner may provide important clues for disease diagnosis and treatment.