Your GP will check your symptoms and carry out a physical examination. If they think you may have aspergillosis, you will need further tests to confirm a diagnosis.
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA)
If allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is suspected, your GP may carry out or refer you for an allergic skin test.
Your skin will be pricked with a needle that contains a small amount of the aspergillus mould. If you are allergic, the area of skin where the needle was placed will come up in a hard red bump.
Read more about how an allergy is diagnosed.
Blood tests are also used to check for antibodies, which are created by your immune system if you are allergic to the aspergillus mould.
You may also have a computerised tomography (CT) scan to check whether there is a build-up of mucus in your lungs (bronchiectasis), which is common in ABPA.
Aspergilloma
If aspergilloma is suspected, you will probably be referred for chest X-rays and a CT scan. These are both used to check for a fungal ball, which can show up as a dark mass.
A sample of your mucus may also be taken to check for fungal spores.
Chronic necrotizing aspergillosis (CNA)
Chronic necrotizing aspergillosis (CNA) is usually diagnosed by asking you about your symptoms and using X-rays and CT scans to look at your lungs. Samples of your blood and mucus may also be checked for antibodies and fungal spores.
In some cases of CNA, you may need to have a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. This involves taking a small sample of tissue from your lungs and checking it for fungal spores using a microscope.
A biopsy is usually carried out using a thin tube, called a bronchoscope, which is passed down your throat and into your lungs. The bronchoscope is used to remove a sample of lung tissue. The procedure is performed under a local anaesthetic (the area is numbed), so it is not painful, and only takes around five minutes to complete.
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA)
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is diagnosed in the same way as CNA, using a combination of CT scans, blood and mucus tests and a biopsy.
