Is bronchoscopic view a reliable method in diagnosis of tracheobronchial aspergillosis in critically ill non-neutropenic patients?

Introduction: Pulmonary aspergillosis is the main respiratory fungal infection however; its diagnosis is missed or delayed in critically ill non-neutropenic patients. Despite the utility of fiberoptic bronchoscopy for the evaluation of tracheobronchial aspergillosis (TBA) in immunocompromised patients has been extensively studied, however its utility in critically ill non-neutropenic patients is underestimated.

Objectives: To assess the bronchoscopic changes suspected TBA relative to the microbiological and histopathological aspects in critically ill non-neutropenic patients admitted to respiratory intensive care unit (RICU).