aspergillosis
|as-per-gil-lo-sis|
🇺🇸
/ˌæs.pər.dʒɪˈloʊ.sɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌæs.pə.dʒɪˈləʊ.sɪs/
diseases caused by Aspergillus
Etymology
'aspergillosis' originates from New Latin, specifically from the genus name 'Aspergillus' combined with the Greek suffix '-osis' meaning 'diseased condition'.
'Aspergillus' was coined in the 18th century by the mycologist Pier Antonio Micheli because the fungus' conidial heads resembled an 'aspergillum' (a liturgical sprinkler). The disease term 'aspergillosis' was later formed by adding '-osis' to indicate a condition caused by that genus.
Initially, 'aspergillum' meant 'a device for sprinkling'; the genus name 'Aspergillus' referenced that shape, and 'aspergillosis' came to mean 'disease caused by Aspergillus' and has retained that specific medical sense.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a disease caused by fungi of the genus Aspergillus; can present as allergic reactions, colonization of cavities, or invasive infection, commonly affecting the lungs.
The patient was diagnosed with invasive aspergillosis after a CT scan revealed multiple lung lesions.
Synonyms
Noun 2
a specific allergic form of disease due to Aspergillus, e.g., allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), characterized by allergic inflammation rather than tissue invasion.
Patients with asthma who develop wheeze and fleeting pulmonary infiltrates may be suspected of having allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/10/30 18:20