The clinical efficacy and safety of micafungin–itraconazole combination therapy in patients with pulmonary aspergilloma

In spite of recent advances in chemotherapy, the treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma remains unsatisfactory. To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of combination therapy for pulmonary aspergilloma, we conducted a multi-institutional prospective study using micafungin (MCFG) and itraconazole (ITCZ). Adult patients who fulfilled the criteria for pulmonary aspergilloma were enrolled in this study. After patient consent had been obtained, intravenous MCFG 150 mg/day and an oral capsule of ITCZ 200 mg/day were administered for at least 1 month. The primary endpoint was the response assessed using an algorithm that incorporated the levels of improvement by evaluating clinical symptoms and signs, mycological and serological tests, and diagnostic imaging. A total of 17 patients were enrolled from three facilities. The response rate to the combination therapy was 58.8% (10/17). The long-term control in the group of patients who responded to treatment was better than that in the group of patients who did not respond. Adverse events occurred in 6 of the 17 patients (35.3%), but there were no severe adverse events. MCFG-ITCZ combination therapy appeared to be relatively safe and effective in patients with pulmonary aspergilloma.