asthmatic eosinophilia, a form of eosinophilic pneumonia, characterized by allergic bronchospasm, cough, fever, and expectoration of bronchial casts containing eosinophils and fungal mycelia. It is a result of hypersensitivity to the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus or Candida albicans. The condition usually occurs in the fourth or fifth decade of life and is twice as common in women as in men. Untreated, it may result in pleural effusion, pericarditis, ascites, encephalitis, hepatomegaly, and respiratory failure. Treatment is similar to that for asthma and includes administration of corticosteroids and antibiotics. Desensitization to the allergen is not usually effective. See also allergic asthma, eosinophilic pneumonia.
