What are the symptoms of aspergillosis in my skin?

[Mshebrady]

I have been sick for more then a year. A wound on my face wouldn't go away no matter what I did to help, or hurt. Finally one doctor suspected deep tissue infection, antibiotics for 2 to 3 months felt better but not gone. Plastic surgeon cut it out, culture came back with aspergillosis but pathologist didn't find any indication of mould. I feel much better but still feel like something's going on. My face itches a lot, have some mild pain occasionally, and some lightheadedness. Have apt with infectious disease doctor.

[GAtherton Administrator Fungal Infection Trust]

I am assuming that your immune system is healthy and normal. This would be a very unusual infection for aspergillus so unlikely to be aspergillosis. Not impossible though if you have had a deep wound in that area so it was worth investigating as aspergillus occasionally infects wounds.

A positive culture is not conclusive whereas a positive histology would have been. Aspergillus does not infect the outer layers of skin except in particular circumstances - sometime we see it growing under plaster casts for example.

Deeper infections are rare and only where the patient is severely immunocompromised (e.g. treatment for some cancers, organ transplant recipients and active HIV infection).

Your doctors are dealing with this very well.

[Mshebrady in reply to GAtherton]

Thank you so much for your quick response. Your information has brought me much comfort.