Resumo (EN)
Microorganisms of the genus Aspergillus are filamentous, ubiquitous fungi, widely distributed in nature with great importance in agriculture, industry, veterinary medicine and human health, especially as an agent of invasive fungal infection in nosocomial environments. Aspergillusfumigatus, considered an opportunistic agent, accounts for about 90% of the cases of aspergillosis described in the world. Mortality rates of the most severe form of aspergillosis, Invasive Aspergillosis (IA), range from 80 to 100% in severely immunocompromised patients. The infection caused by A. fumigatus is diagnosed by histological methods, culture and macromorphological and micromorphological analysis, which limits the identification at the species level and, consequently, the correct diagnosis and timely treatment. The incidence of IA in Brazil is uncertain because of the absence of official reporting data. Investigations conducted in the country occurred in tertiary hospitals, more specifically in transplant units (hematopoietic stem cells and solid organ). Antifungal resistance data in A. fumigatus isolates are described in european cohorts and are correlated with therapeutic failures. The present review aims to describe the impact of aspergillosis caused by A. fumigatus nowadays and the importance of correct laboratory diagnosis in clinical practice.