Aspergillus fungus also attacks those lungs where capacity to fight an infection has gone down, for example transplant patients and a patient who is on a long treatment medicine of ‘steroids’ and ‘prednisolon’. Due to under-nutrition also, the defence mechanism of the body becomes weak. This facilitates an easy entry of Aspergillus germ into the lung. When this fungus makes the dead space of lung as its permanent address, it multiplies in thousands and creates a dense network in which blood products and destroyed portion of lung get trapped and ultimately the whole thing appears like a ball, which on chest x-ray resemble a white cricket ball. If one looks at the chest x-ray of such patient, it appears as if a white coloured ball is lying in a dark hollow area. This white ball is called in medical terms as ‘Fungal ball’ meaning thereby a ball made up of fungal germs.
Dr. K. K. Pandey is a Senior Consultant in Thoracic & Endothoracic Surgery at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi, with 30+ years’ experience in lung cancer surgery, chest tumors, pleural diseases, VATS, esophageal surgery and minimally invasive thoracic procedures. He is also a dedicated health writer and educator.